SINGAPORE - The Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange will be relocated to a temporary site from March 12 so the current premises can be refurbished.

The current interchange at Woodlands Avenue 5 will be moved to an adjacent site along Woodlands Square. The temporary interchange will be connected to Woodlands MRT station and Causeway Point shopping mall via sheltered linkways.

The 26 bus services and two Peak Period Short Services serving the area will continue to operate from the temporary interchange.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Thursday that the relocation is for the construction of an underpass which will link the upgraded bus interchange to the North-South Line Woodlands station and the future Thomson-East Coast Line Woodlands station.

This underpass will be completed in 2019, the authority said.

"The upgraded Woodlands Regional Bus Interchange will also be equipped with more commuter-centric and barrier-free facilities to serve residents, including enhanced amenities for bus captains," the LTA said.

Meanwhile, commuters will be able to enjoy new features at the temporary interchange, such as priority queue zones.

These demarcated zones have seats and are located next to the boarding berths where seniors, pregnant women and people with disabilities can wait. There will also be tactile paving on the floor to help the visually impaired locate these zones.

Such priority queue zones have already been implemented at the Yishun Temporary Bus Interchange and Joo Koon Integrated Transport Hub.