Tree falls and blocks two lanes of MacPherson Road
A tree fell on MacPherson Road, blocking two lanes going in the direction of the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) last Friday (18 Sept).
In a display of camaraderie, several individuals, including bus passengers, worked together to remove the blockage.
Source: @crayoncheryl on Instagram
Road users work together to move tree
In a post on Friday, Instagram user @crayoncheryl shared a video showing the fallen tree on the road had blocked two lanes just after an intersection.
A car had also been hit, but its driver was not hurt, Cheryl shared.
Unable to pass, several buses lined up on the road. People also began alighting from the buses and walking towards the nearest bus stop, leading them to discover the situation.
Source: @crayoncheryl on Instagram
“Someone started walking towards the tree, then more people followed and started helping to clear the smaller branches,” Cheryl wrote.
In the video, at least 10 men were seen breaking off the tree’s smaller branches and moving them to the side of the road.
Source: @crayoncheryl on Instagram
Later, with more men helping, they began to manoeuvre the fallen tree, counting together to coordinate their movements. A few women also helped move branches aside.
“So much community spirit, all because they don’t want a roadblock,” Cheryl said.
“I didn’t even realise we could do that. I was stuck on a highway once for hours for the same reason,” she added.
Bus drivers warned others to make U-turn
Speaking to MS News, Cheryl said the incident occurred around 6pm along MacPherson Road, opposite MacPherson Sheng Hong Child Care Centre.
Like many bus passengers, she alighted and started walking towards the bus stop when she spotted the fallen tree.
“My first reaction was ‘thank goodness nobody or [any] vehicle was hurt’,” Cheryl said.
It’s quite a miracle it affected all lanes and no one was hurt.
Cheryl said bus drivers began telling other road users that the road is blocked, allowing them to make a U-turn.
“I thought we [were] gonna get a massive jam. It didn’t occur to me [that] we can actually move it first without authorities [until] the first person went in and many others followed,” she shared.
20 to 30 men helped move tree
Cheryl said about 20 to 30 men worked together to move the tree aside, and the entire process took less than 15 minutes.
“Initially they started by breaking the branches, but it was taking a while,” she told MS News. “So someone said to break the main branch and push instead.”
By doing this, the group managed to clear one lane.
Source: @crayoncheryl on Instagram
Many netizens reportedly thought that only foreign workers helped move the tree. However, Cheryl clarified that others also helped, including bus drivers and bikers.
Road users also celebrated together after the road was cleared. Cheryl shared: “Everyone clapped and some of the vehicles [honked] in celebration too.”
After reboarding her bus, Cheryl called the National Parks Board (NParks) to check whether the incident had been reported, which they confirmed.
She also noticed on Google Maps that the traffic jam was cleared after 20 minutes, leading her to believe contractors arrived immediately to rectify the issue.
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Featured image adapted from @crayoncheryl on Instagram.
