Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

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NSWP
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Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by NSWP »

Talking about street furniture, I have been to Singapore a couple of times, listened and learnt and can you believe that the dual carriageway leading to Singapore (Changi) Airport can be used as an emergency runway ?

In the event of an emergency the carriageway can be cleared of all street furnitire, Electric Light Poles, bollards, large potted trees etc to make way for aircraft having to land in an emergency if the runways at the airport are fully utilised.

The street furnitre can be cleared and detours, traffic control etc, implemented within 30 minutes. :shock:
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by christopherwk »

Yes you can see on Google Maps part of East Coast Parkway, looks obvious from Google Earth.
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by Fenlander »

A Jaguar on the M55 doesn't sound too strange does it :D
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by Big L »

I recall being told, some years ago, that this bit of Cypriot motorway (from there to the NorthEast) was a stand-by military runway.
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Stesee
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by Stesee »

Ive seen one in Sweden on 25 between Ljungby and Halmstad.
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by Peter Freeman »

There are quite a few of these on some of Australia's long-distance highways, especially route 87 Stuart Hwy. Mainly for the Flying Doctor Service and air ambulances. The roads are S2 plus shoulders, but for the runway length they flare to 2 or 3 times the width, with additional painted markings.
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by WHBM »

NSWP wrote:Talking about street furniture, I have been to Singapore a couple of times, listened and learnt and can you believe that the dual carriageway leading to Singapore (Changi) Airport can be used as an emergency runway ?

In the event of an emergency the carriageway can be cleared of all street furnitire, Electric Light Poles, bollards, large potted trees etc to make way for aircraft having to land in an emergency if the runways at the airport are fully utilised.

The street furnitre can be cleared and detours, traffic control etc, implemented within 30 minutes.
It's ludicrous to suggest that this could be cleared in 30 minutes :

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@1.315795 ... 312!8i6656

It would take that long just to start to mobilise what must need a substantial fleet of lorries, handling equipment and personnel. It would also then need to be very substantially swept. And the width between the trees would only allow a fighter aircraft in. And what do you do with it then ? It's not as if Singapore is short of runways, or indeed airports; they have replaced their main one multiple times, the previous one still remaining. There are actually three proper and independent airport runways just at the end of this strip.

The Australian examples are much more practical.
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by orudge »

Wikipedia suggests the Singapore expressway is no longer in use as an emergency landing strip (are the plants in the middle a relatively recent addition?)
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by WHBM »

I do remember being in a 747, queued as one of three awaiting departure from Sydney, where it was announced we were all waiting for a Royal Flying Doctor Service light aircraft, possibly coming in from such a remote point, which had been given a clear run in. Our First Officer described that flying for them had been his first job when he qualified. I understand they get to see, and then be in very close proximity with, some rather unfortunate events.
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by RichardA626 »

Stesee wrote:Ive seen one in Sweden on 25 between Ljungby and Halmstad.
I've heard Swedish Air Force can use straight sections of road as runways.

The back straight of the Anderstorp racing track is also a runway when there are no events on.

Supposedly some main roads in Cuba could be used as emergency runways by Soviet planes.
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by Big Nick »

Here's a good article about runways on roads - http://www.news.com.au/technology/innov ... 92bce72d20
They mention it takes 48 hours to prepare a Singapore highway for aircraft use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBMD4QTSyqM

Plenty of videos on YouTube too. Taiwan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyBe1mZo6Jg India https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1wR2SGcTwA
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NSWP
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by NSWP »

I shall be in Singapore for a week, March next year. I will make enquiries re emergency use of roadway for runways at Changi Airport.
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by jgharston »

I seem to remember reading that US Interstates pushed through States Rights localisation objections by being classified as emergency federal defence runways. Could well be a myth looking at the amounts of traffic on them.
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Re: Singapore - Emergency runways using road space

Post by WHBM »

jgharston wrote: Sun Jun 02, 2019 23:01 I seem to remember reading that US Interstates pushed through States Rights localisation objections by being classified as emergency federal defence runways. Could well be a myth looking at the amounts of traffic on them.
You are correct. The 1956 legislation for the Interstates is the "National Interstate and Defense Highways Act". It served a purpose to divert some government defence budget of the era to roadbuilding. Eisenhower, President at the time, had of course seen in Germany when Commander-in-Chief in 1944-45 how the Autobahn network had been valuable for moving troops and military vehicles around quickly compared to the traditional approach of loading them onto trains (both for the Germans before 1945 and for the Americans afterwards).

Regarding Singapore, turning roads into runways is not to land 747s on them, but they of course have memories of the Japanese attack and invasion in 1941-2 when destroying the one (at the time) airbase at Kallang prevented the RAF from operating. So some emergency points elsewhere are seen of value.
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