Buangkok Drive to be extended to Yio Chu Kang Road from Aug 28

SINGAPORE – Residents living in Buangkok and Sengkang will enjoy easier access to expressways and faster commutes when Buangkok Drive is fully connected to Yio Chu Kang Road from 5pm on Aug 28.

The new road extension will directly link housing estates in Fernvale South, Gerald Mugliston and Buangkok Crescent to Yio Chu Kang Road, from which motorists can reach the SLE, KPE and CTE.

This could cut travelling time by up to 10 minutes, say some residents who drive.

New bus services will be introduced to the extended road and existing bus routes will be improved in the fourth quarter of 2025, said Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Victor Lye, who oversees the Buangkok-Fernvale South area, in a Facebook post on Aug 21.

Public servant Alex Yeo, who has been living in Fernvale for over 20 years, said the Buangkok Drive extension will mean he can take a more straightforward route to his workplace in Ang Mo Kio via Yio Chu Kang Road and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.

This will be a shorter journey of around 10 minutes, the 53-year-old added, compared with his current 15-minute journey of driving to Sengkang West Avenue before turning into Yio Chu Kang Road and going onto the CTE.

Mr Eugene Chen, an account manager in his 40s, said the new extension can bring about significant time savings of five to 10 minutes per trip, as there will be fewer traffic lights between Buangkok Square and Yio Chu Kang Road.

He added that the new Buangkok Drive will give him quicker access to dining and shopping options at the Greenwich foodcourt, eateries along Seletar Hills Drive and Seletar Mall.

Fernvale resident Fong Sau Yee said he will be able to get to his workplace in Dhoby Ghaut via a 10- to 15-minute walk to a nearby bus stop and a 30-minute direct bus ride on service 660M once the extended Buangkok Drive is open to pedestrians and vehicles.

The 48-year-old administrative manager currently travels to work by taking the LRT from Layar station, before switching to the North East Line at Sengkang MRT station.

Although both routes are roughly of the same duration, he prefers taking the bus as he can get a seat – MRT trains during the morning peak hours are so crowded that “standing space is already a premium”, he said.

Mr Fong hopes for a new city direct bus service to ply the extended Buangkok Drive, so that it will be more convenient for residents there to travel to the city centre.

Lim Yijun, 17, a resident in Fernvale Vista, feels that she may not benefit directly from the road extension.

The polytechnic student can already take direct bus services from a bus stop that is a three-minute walk away from her estate to travel to Buangkok or Sengkang MRT stations.

But she foresees that the road extension may alleviate heavy traffic in the area during the morning and evening peak hours if vehicles take alternative routes via Buangkok Drive, which may lead to smoother bus journeys for her.

This new stretch of Buangkok Drive connecting to Yio Chu Kang Road is the second and final phase of a road extension project in the location.

The first phase was ready from 1pm on May 16, and created a direct link between Buangkok Drive and Fernvale Link.