It is "not acceptable" for a major expressway to shut down due to flooding, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan said on Thursday evening. Dr Balakrishnan was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a research function at the National University of Singapore.
"We're going to need to do some work there," he said. "We will need some time, but I am confident that we can make an improvement to the situation...I told (national water agency) PUB we've got to do our best to make sure this doesn't recur in the future."
Dr Balakrishnan said that culverts to the south of the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), which was the worst hit area on Thursday, have to be expanded in the "immediate term" to improve drainage. Work on expanding the Sungei Pandan Kechil canal that overflowed would begin by 2015 or 2016 if plans go ahead.
"We're going to need to do some work there," he said. "We will need some time, but I am confident that we can make an improvement to the situation...I told (national water agency) PUB we've got to do our best to make sure this doesn't recur in the future."
Dr Balakrishnan said that culverts to the south of the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), which was the worst hit area on Thursday, have to be expanded in the "immediate term" to improve drainage. Work on expanding the Sungei Pandan Kechil canal that overflowed would begin by 2015 or 2016 if plans go ahead.
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