The long-awaited Lornie Road park connector - stretching about 2km from MacRitchie Reservoir carpark to the fringe of Kheam Hock Park - will be completed in the next few weeks.
The project, which has been in the making since the Lornie Highway project was announced in 2011, was last delayed by Covid-19 circuit breaker measures. It was previously delayed when the highway project was held up by main contractor Swee Hong's financial problems.
NParks said it is working to complete the project before the end of the year.
Checks by The Straits Times on Monday revealed that the connector is almost completed, with workers finishing paving the path with a second layer of bitumen on the final 250m.
Workers on site said the paving works will be done by this week, and signs will be painted on next.
The Lornie Road park connector is the last major purpose-built segment of a 36km coast-to-coast trail that links Coney Island in the east to Jurong Lake Gardens in the west. It runs alongside Lornie Road, which had up to four lanes each way before Lornie Highway opened two years ago.
Lornie Road has since been downgraded to a dual two-lane road and now has a speed limit of 50kmh (from 70kmh previously). Speed humps have also been put up at several locations, especially the stretches near houses.
Avid cyclist K.C. Liew is among those looking forward to the opening of Lornie park connector.
"It will open up the cycling route skirting MacRitchie Reservoir towards Bukit Timah, Adam Road and Botanic Gardens," said the 57-year-old business development manager.
Since September, Mr Liew has been taking his Brompton foldable bicycle with him on his bus ride to work and then cycling back.
But when the park connector opens, he might cycle both ways, he said.
"The Lornie park connector remains the last incomplete stretch of my route between office and home."
Lornie Road resident H.E. Koh, 63, said the new park connector is a new recreational amenity that is "much needed... especially at a time like this".
He noticed that work on the connector had stopped between April and August. "I'm very happy it is now near completion. NParks has done a wonderful job. This greening of Lornie Road will be good for walkers, joggers and cyclists."
The retiree who jogs twice a week said he intends to buy a bicycle soon. "It is even safe to cycle on the road because traffic is very light now."
