New Jurong Town Hall Park Connector to add 2km of green trails to Clementi Nature Corridor
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The Jurong Town Hall Park Connector adds to the existing 9km of green trails of the Clementi Nature Corridor currently accessible by the public.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
SINGAPORE - The new Jurong Town Hall Park Connector is set to open in September as part of an ambitious project
Around 2km of Jurong Town Hall Park Connector – which runs along Jurong Town Hall Road and the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) – will provide a direct link between the Rail Corridor and Jurong Lake Gardens. Interim paths will be provided where the park connector is temporarily affected by rail and sewer works.
These trails are part of the ambitious Clementi Nature Corridor, a broad ecological corridor that encompasses forested sites and will house 18km of trails, announced by the National Parks Board (NParks) in 2021.
The opening of the Jurong Town Hall Park Connector adds to the existing 9km of green trails – including a 500m section of the Clementi Nature Trail, Ulu Pandan Park Connector and Rail Corridor – that are currently accessible by the public.
This will bring the total publicly accessible green network to 11km by September.
Speaking at a community tree-planting event on Aug 31, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said: “This corridor will provide Singaporeans with greater recreational opportunities, while enabling them to connect with nature.”
The Clementi Nature Corridor – one of the ecological corridors conceptualised under NParks’ islandwide Ecological Profiling Exercise (EPE) – will also strengthen ecological connectivity for wildlife between Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Southern Ridges, added Mr Lee.
Another key project within the Clementi Nature Corridor is the Old Jurong Line Nature Trail, which is set to begin its first phase of development in the first three months of 2025.
This phase will include the creation of a new community node near Faber Walk, featuring seating areas and a nature playgarden. Part of the trail will preserve remnants of the former Jurong Railway Line, offering both a historical and recreational experience.
“We will safeguard this trail for ecological and recreational connectivity, with parts of it running through Clementi Forest and Sunset Way Woods,” said Mr Lee.
Minister for National Development Desmond Lee (centre) with Holland-Bukit Panjang GRC MPs Sim Ann (left) and Christopher de Souza at a tree-planting event along the Clementi Nature Trail on Aug 31.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
The Old Jurong Line Nature Trail will progressively open from the end of 2026, he added.
Enhancements along Clementi Forest Stream and parts of Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal are also being planned to connect visitors from Clementi Road to the Rail Corridor. Key trail features include a crossing with stepping stones across the stream, plants along the path and rustic rope to enhance safety for visitors.
Highlighting the collaborative efforts behind the developments, Mr Lee said NParks had conducted Environment Impact Assessments (EIAs) over the past year and worked with nature groups and Friends of Clementi-Ulu Pandan Nature Corridor (FoCUPNC) to ensure that the works are carried out sensitively.
Ms Ang Wei Ping, NParks’ group director of policy and planning, said a key priority of the FoCUPNC is to have trails that are safe and accessible so that visitors can enjoy the attractive rustic natural landscape while protecting the habitats in the area.
Mr Ben Cheung, 62, a property consultant who lives in Mayfair Park, said the Clementi Nature Corridor allows people to hike through the Clementi forest and reconnect with nature. “Before all these developments, it was just a green pasture,” he said.
The Clementi Nature Trail is one of the trails that will enable people to connect with nature.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Holland Green resident Claire Zhang, 54, is pleased with the developments, saying that she does not feel like she is living in a city. “I love how this part of the city is so quiet and peaceful. It doesn’t feel like I am in Singapore.”
In August 2022, NParks, student volunteers and the FoCUPNC carried out a survey and recorded the flora and fauna along Clementi Forest Stream.
The EIAs for Clementi Forest Stream and parts of Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal found that the potential impact on terrestrial ecology, biodiversity, water and air quality, and noise during and after construction can be mitigated to “negligible or minor” levels or even eliminated. The EIAs also concluded that there will be no significant disruptions to nearby residents, with the closest homes at least 60m from the proposed worksite.
The EIA reports are available on NParks’ website for public viewing and feedback from Aug 31 to Oct 1.
