North-South Expressway - A Mistake Perhaps?

As someone who uses the CTE occasionally, I can understand the frustrations of the users of that overcrowded expressway, being taxed to death via ERP and still having to endure traffic jams. The corresponding desire for relief through the construction of the North-South Expressway (NSE) is therefore very much a legitimate one.

That said, I can't help but think whether or not building it is the right thing to do. Given what I feel is a significant chance of global oil shortages by the middle of this decade, I would not be surprised if fuel would initially be rationed to be followed by an outright ban on the driving of private vehicles as the liquid fuels situation grow more dire. If this scenario were to play out even partially, it would mean a very significant drop in road capacity all over the country. This will entail all the resources used to build the NSE being wasted. From a peak oil perspective, allocating the resources to build the Thomson MRT line may actually be a better use of our national wealth.

In any case, I really feel sorry for the people who stand to lose their homes because of the NSE. To me, there is a risk that their sacrifices would have been in vain.