Three new roads to open in Bidadari

The view from Bidadari Park Drive towards Upper Aljunied Road. Bidadari Park Drive is one of three new roads that will be opened partially in Bidadari estate on Jan 14. It is also a major road that will serve as the main transportation spine of the e
The view from Bidadari Park Drive towards Upper Aljunied Road. Bidadari Park Drive is one of three new roads that will be opened partially in Bidadari estate on Jan 14. It is also a major road that will serve as the main transportation spine of the estate. PHOTO: DIOS VINCOY JR FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES

Three new roads in Bidadari estate will be opened partially on Jan 14 to serve the upcoming developments there.

They are Bidadari Park Drive, Alkaff Crescent and Woodleigh Link.

The Housing Board said 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 in Potong Pasir Avenue 1, told The Sunday 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 Road 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 it 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, such as 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 set up in the area. They will be along Bidadari Park Drive, at the junctions of Upper Serangoon Road, Upper Aljunied Road and Alkaff Crescent.

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 masterplan 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 on top of what was once Singapore's largest grave site. The estate will feature lush greenery and social spaces, in line with the area's vision of being "a community in a garden".

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 07, 2018, with the headline Three new roads to open in Bidadari. Subscribe