SINGAPORE - Three new roads in Bidadari estate will be partially opened on Jan 14 to serve the upcoming developments there.
They are Bidadari Park Drive, Alkaff Crescent and Woodleigh Link.
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) said that Bidadari Park Drive is a major road that will serve as the main transportation spine of Bidadari.
It will eventually traverse the full length of the new estate, from Bartley Road to Upper Serangoon Road.
Most residents living near Bidadari estate have given the thumbs-up to the development of these new roads, especially Bidadari Park Drive.
Engineer Saiful Said, 26, who lives at Block 103, Potong Pasir Avenue 1, told The Straits Times that he often rides his motorcycle in the direction of Bartley Road to meet his friends in MacPherson.
He said: "Right now, I have to ride down Upper Serangoon Avenue before making a right turn into Bartley Road. This leg of the journey takes about 10 minutes. When Bidadari Park Drive is fully open, I think this will take about five minutes."
A housewife, who wanted to be known only as Madam Wong, 42, shared a similar view.
She said: "There are some students living in Potong Pasir who go to schools near the Bartley area, like Maris Stella High School and St Gabriel's Secondary. I think this will cut their travelling time."
However, a retiree who declined to be named is not too enthusiastic about the new roads.
He said: "I don't think the roads will cut travelling time that much. I've been living in Potong Pasir since the 1990s and I really miss the old Bidadari cemetery because it was so peaceful and green. Now, the area will just be another housing estate."
New traffic lights will also be commissioned in the area. They will be along Bidadari Park Drive, at the junctions of Upper Serangoon Road, Upper Aljunied Road and Alkaff Crescent.
HDB said: "Motorists are advised to drive carefully when approaching the traffic signals and to observe the traffic signal indications. During the commissioning of new signalised junctions, auxiliary police officers will be deployed to guide motorists."
Since November 2015, HDB has launched more than 6,000 flats in seven new-generation public housing projects such as Alkaff Lakeview, Alkaff Oasis, Woodleigh Glen and Woodleigh Village.
It added that these units have seen strong response, averaging about five applicants to one flat.
The master plan for Bidadari was launched in August 2013 and it draws inspiration from the area's rich heritage and unique landscape.
Spanning 93ha, roughly the size of 150 football fields, the estate is bounded by Bartley Road, Sennett Estate, Upper Serangoon Road and Mount Vernon Road.
It is built atop what once was Singapore's largest grave site. The estate will also feature lush greenery and social spaces, in line with the area's vision of being "a community in a garden".
Residents in the area will be able to visit a nearby market square and walk around a scenic park and lake.
Bidadari estate will also be home to Singapore's first underground air-conditioned bus interchange below Housing Board flats.
The new interchange next to Woodleigh MRT station is expected to be ready by next year.
