Roads closed, buses diverted for Chinese New Year countdown at Chinatown on Jan 27

The 13m-tall rooster with outspread wings at the junction of Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road and Upper Cross Street. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

SINGAPORE - Several roads and lanes in Chinatown will be closed to facilitate this year's Chinese New Year countdown on Friday (Jan 27), with some bus services diverted as a result.

On New Bridge Road, the extreme right lane between Mosque Street and Temple Street, and the extreme left lane between Pagoda Street and Temple Street will be closed from 8pm on Wednesday (Jan 25) to 2am on Thursday (Jan 26).

The lanes will also be closed from Thursday, 8pm to Friday, 5pm.

For the actual event ushering in the Year of the Rooster, several roads will be closed from Friday, 5pm, to Saturday, 3am.

These are: New Bridge Road between Upper Cross Street and Kreta Ayer Road; Eu Tong Sen Street between Outram Road and Upper Cross Street; the slip road leading from Outram Road into Eu Tong Sen Street; Keong Saik Road between New Bridge Road and Kreta Ayer Road; and Smith Street.

The extreme right lane of South Bridge Road between Upper Cross Street and Sago Lane will be closed from Friday, 10 pm to Saturday, 1am.

In addition, Mosque Street will be converted into a two-way road from Friday 5pm to Saturday, 3am.

Access to the roads and lanes will be granted only to police and emergency vehicles during the closures.

Parking restrictions along peripheral roads will be strictly enforced, the police said.

Vehicles that are found parking and causing obstruction will be towed.

PHOTO: SBS

Eleven SBS Transit bus services - 33, 54, 63, 80, 124, 145, 147, 166, 197, CT8 and CT18 - will be diverted in and around Chinatown from Friday, 5pm to Saturday, 3am.

The buses will skip seven bus stops along Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, Outram Road and Upper Cross Street.

PHOTO: SMRT

Five SMRT bus services - 61, 190, 851, 961 and 970 - will be also be temporarily diverted around Chinatown on Friday.

They will skip nine bus stops along Eu Tong Sen Street, New Bridge Road, Upper Cross Street and Outram Road.

Dr Lily Neo, the adviser to Jalan Besar GRC which the precinct falls under, had previously said that security measures have been stepped up this year.

For the first time, some 40 tonnes of concrete blocks will be used to line roads during the Chinese New Year countdown, to prevent vehicles from entering areas where large crowds are expected.

Chinese New Year celebrations this year have included the annually anticipated light-up in Chinatown, the annual festive street bazaar, and a new flea market.

For more information on the countdown, call the organiser on the hotline: 9391-0198.

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