Ulu Pandan Park Connector affected by landslide to be fully open in December

SINGAPORE - The Ulu Pandan Park Connector that was affected by

a landslide at the Clementi NorthArc

Build-To-Order site is on track to be fully reopened for public use by December.

The Housing Board said on Saturday that repair and reconstruction works are being carried out to reinstate the 550m stretch along the south bank of the Ulu Pandan Park Connector, which was partially damaged by a landslide in September 2022 that led to soil displacement into Sungei Ulu Pandan.

The landslide affected the part of the Clementi NorthArc site where a retaining wall – a structure that holds back earth or water – was being built, and where a basketball court and pavilion would be located. 

The north bank of Ulu Pandan Park Connector

has been open to public use since March,

while HDB said the Ulu Pandan canal has been restored to its original depth and capacity.

Three other sections of the park connector – from Clementi Avenue 6 to Clementi Road, from Boon Lay Way and Ayer Rajah Expressway to Commonwealth Avenue West flyover, and from Clementi Road to Commonwealth Avenue West near Ghim Moh Road – have been opened in stages since September 2022. 

HDB and its contractor are now in their third and final phase of reconstruction works to strengthen the slope where the landslide occurred, following earlier phases of

immediate flood risk mitigation measures and slope stabilisation works.

“To strengthen the slope’s foundation, long piles are being embedded deep into the soil at intervals, and steel rebars are also being layered into the soil to further improve its stability.

“At present, the slope strengthening works are about 50 per cent complete and are expected to fully complete by July 2023,” said HDB.

Launched in February 2017, Clementi NorthArc comprises a total of 1,179 three-room, four-room, five-room and 3Gen flats spread across six residential blocks.

HDB said close to 1,200 new homes have been completed in the BTO project, and almost 98 per cent of the flats have been taken up.

Originally slated for completion by the second quarter of 2022,

the construction of the development was delayed

by nine to 12 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“HDB worked closely with the contractor to catch up on the delay and managed to complete all six blocks between December 2022 and March 2023 despite the slope failure, which occurred at the western edge of Clementi NorthArc on Sept 2, 2022,” HDB said, adding that it expects to complete all the projects delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic in less than two years.

Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann, who visited Clementi NorthArc on Saturday, said that the landslide incident did not cause further delays to key collection.

“This is because HDB prioritised efforts in ensuring that residential blocks can be completed and to ensure that they’re safe,” she said, adding that most of the residents did not raise concerns about the safety of the project.

“There was one family who was considering cancelling their flat application but later changed their minds and eventually collected their keys, after they received more information about the recovery and reconstruction works taking place,” she added.

As at May 17, more than 90 per cent of the flat buyers have collected keys and are moving into their new homes, said HDB.

It added that to prioritise the completion of the residential blocks, construction of two commercial blocks equipped with amenities had been temporarily set aside.

Works for these blocks will be completed progressively from the third quarter of 2023 onwards.

Ms Te Phik Hua, 36, and her family moved into their five-room flat at Block 210A of Clementi NorthArc in January.

Ms Te, a housewife, said: “Our nearest supermarket is two bus stops away where Clementi Central is, so it is a little troublesome to travel there.

“Once the new commercial blocks are ready, it will be so much more convenient... to grab a meal nearby and purchase groceries as these new amenities will be right next to my block.”