Tuas Viaduct, other roads in Tuas South to be enhanced for future industrial, port activities
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SINGAPORE – Motorists can look forward to an extension of the existing Tuas Viaduct and improvements to a network of roads in Tuas South, which will be progressively ready from 2030.
Construction for the second phase of Tuas Road Viaduct, which is the extension of the existing viaduct, will start from 2025, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) on Aug 2.
At the same time, road improvement works will also take place along Tuas South Avenue 3, Tuas South Boulevard, Pioneer Road and Tuas South Avenue 5, added the authorities. When asked to elaborate on these works, LTA said more details will be provided when they are ready.
These upgrades to the road network are to support industrial developments in Tuas South and the forthcoming growth in container port activities at the Tuas mega port over the next 10 years.
Slated to be fully completed in the 2040s, Tuas Port is being developed in four phases, with nine container berths already operating as at July
LTA and SLA noted that with the improvements, motorists can look forward to better connectivity and shorter commutes in the area, as the extended Tuas Viaduct will better connect the Ayer Rajah and Pan-Island expressways in the north to industrial estates and Tuas Port in the south.
LTA will call tenders for the works progressively from the third quarter of 2024.
To facilitate the construction of the second phase of Tuas Road Viaduct and related roadworks, 2,293 sq m of private land will be acquired by the Government, based on a notice published in the Government Gazette on Aug 2.
Located in seven properties owned by JTC Corporation, these lots are currently leased to private entities. But the acquisition will not affect existing buildings and operations, added the authorities, as it involves only ancillary features such as boundary walls and fencing.
Both agencies said they will work with the affected parties and help them throughout the acquisition process.
Opened in 2017, the existing Tuas Viaduct
The total length of the existing viaduct and the upcoming extension will be about 12km, subject to further design details and site conditions, LTA told The Straits Times.
Mechanical engineer Shreejit Changaroth, 67, who travels to Tuas twice a week for meetings, welcomed the new extension as he felt that traffic on existing roads leading to Tuas South can get “really messy” as many heavy vehicles ply those roads.
He added that the 45-minute journey by car from his home in Clementi to his supplier’s office in Tuas South could be shortened significantly with the help of the extension.
The extension could also help to ease heavy traffic and make driving conditions safer.
But Mr Changaroth said there could still be heavy container truck traffic on the viaduct once operations at Tuas Port are in full swing.
Polytechnic student Ying Han Lin, 19, travels to Tuas almost every week to “get away from the city” on his motorbike.
He said the extension would make the southbound journey more pleasant, as it would reduce the need to stop when the traffic lights turn red.
It is troublesome to stop at consecutive red lights when he travels to Tuas South now, as this also makes it harder for motorcyclists like him to cope with the heat while on the roads, he added.
