SINGAPORE'S newest expressway, the Kallang- Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), has been ranked among the top international tunnels in a European report, in terms of safety and design.

The European Tunnel Assessment Programme assesses expressways around the world using 200 criteria, which include the preventive, detection and self-rescue features of a tunnel.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday that there was no mandatory requirement for tunnels in Singapore to be benchmarked against any international safety standards.

It, however, wanted to ensure the design and operations of the KPE met the same rigorous standards required of European tunnels.

Traffic on the KPE has been growing steadily. During the morning and evening peak periods this month, there were 6,800 vehicles an hour, compared to 4,900 vehicles an hour last year.

The KPE was also given a top rating under the European Union's Directive on Safety Requirements for Road Tunnels in Europe in July.

Yesterday, the LTA honoured its contractors with good workplace safety and health records at its Annual Safety Award Convention. Gammon Construction received the top award for its work on the Woodsville Interchange upgrading project.

The LTA's safety performance has been better than that of the construction industry as a whole in recent years.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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