A section of the Chinatown Food Street will be closed for renovations on May 1 and reopen at the end of the year, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in a statement on Thursday. Shophouse units nine to 29 and 37 to 41 will be affected while the other units will operate as usual. Smith Street will continue to be open to traffic until further notice.

After the $4 million revamp, the stretch will be fully pedestrianised. Stalls will be expected to open from lunch, as opposed to the current late afternoon. It will seat 600 people with 400 seats under shelter and another 200 in an open-air seating area. The street can seat 400 patrons now.

The first-ever improvements to the 100m stretch on Smith Street, which was launched in November 2001, will be done by the Select Group.

"The revitalisation of CFS is part of STB and Chinatown Business Association's efforts to ensure that the precinct remains attractive and relevant in today's context," STB said in the statement.