SINGAPORE - The road tunnel segment of a $7.47 billion integrated transport corridor will be completed only in 2029, two years later than previously announced.
Disclosing the new date in a written parliamentary reply on Monday, Transport Minister S. Iswaran said the 21.5km North-South Corridor (NSC) from Woodlands to the city will be completed in phases from 2027.
The viaduct portion of the NSC from Admiralty Road West to Lentor Avenue is targeted to open in 2027; and the remaining road tunnels from Lentor Avenue to East Coast Parkway in 2029, he added in response to Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC).
“The surface streets will then be repurposed to prioritise walking, cycling, public transport and community spaces,” Mr Iswaran said, without elaborating on when these works will be completed.
The corridor consists of an 8.8km viaduct and 12.3km of underground road tunnels.
Running parallel to the Central Expressway (CTE), the corridor is expected to help alleviate the heavy traffic on the CTE as well as major arterial roads nearby like Thomson Road and Marymount Road. It will also support developments in the north.
Originally conceived as an expressway in 2008, the NSC was later billed as a “transit priority corridor” that will also cater to the needs of bus commuters, cyclists, users of active mobility devices and pedestrians.
The Land Transport Authority said in 2016 that bus travelling times from Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio to the city could be cut by up to 30 minutes. Commuters can save 10 to 15 minutes on average as the buses will have access to dedicated and continuous bus lanes, coupled with bus priority signals.
Pedestrians, as well as riders on active mobility devices and bicycles, will be able to use the paths along the NSC to get on to the Park Connector Network as well as cycling paths within the Housing Board towns along the corridor.
Work on the corridor started in 2018, and was slated to conclude by 2026. The Covid-19 pandemic delayed the project by at least a year.
Asked about other measures to reduce the nuisance caused by construction, Mr Iswaran noted that more than 50 per cent of foundations for road tunnels have been built.
Construction noise from the NSC is expected to be reduced after foundation works are completed in two years’ time, he said. “In the meantime, we will continue to take all necessary measures to minimise the disamenities caused.”
