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Upon exiting the Novena MRT station, one is immediately faced with heavy traffic and persistent thudding and perforations in the background.
Some car horns may sound. The paper signs direct pedestrians to walk in contradictory directions to the desired destinations.
The Thomson Road / Moulmein Road / Newton Road junction is one of the areas most affected by the construction of the North-South Corridor (NSC), a 21.5 km motorway that will link the northern part of Singapore with the city center .
So far around $ 7.47 billion has been invested in the project. The fourteenth and final civil contract for the design and construction of the NSC was awarded last December, the Land Transportation Authority (LTA) told The Straits Times.
More costs could be added until planned completion in 2026, its spokesperson said.
As the construction sector gradually recovers from the setback inflicted by the spread of Covid-19 in migrant worker dormitories, work at the NSC has started in a hurry along the entire stretch, from Admiralty to Rochor. .
The LTA recently said that additional changes to the roads and underpasses leading to the Novena shopping centers will begin on Saturday, and that the changes will last at least until the end of 2022.
It is also studying the impact of Covid-19 on the project’s projected completion date of 2026, and there could be more works on the horizon.
Those who live and work there said they are resigned to the hassles.
One resident said traffic jams and noise have become such an important part of life that it seems to have been “since the dawn of time.”
Many of those interviewed by The Straits Times said they did not know what the works are for.
“I don’t know why there are works, but they are there,” was the common response. Most added, however: “But it’s not a big problem. I’m used to it.”
Mr. Fong Keng Munn, 25, who lives in a condominium on Newton Road, said he does not remember when the works began, although he did recall being stunned one day when contractors began removing trees from the road.
He said the noise from the drilling doesn’t bother him much. What bothers you are the often erratic lane closures, which can make driving from Thomson Road to Newton Road a nightmare.
“I don’t know which lane to filter into,” said the software engineer. “But there is always construction in Singapore. I quite agree with that.”
Grace Teng, a 61-year-old homemaker, said there is always a traffic jam at the crossing on weekends. Her husband is usually the one driving, but she is frustrated just from being in the car.
She hopes that LTA will be able to provide real-time updates to motorists, using drone images, for example, similar to those showing road conditions on the Causeway.
Work on the NSC, including Novena, started in 2018.
The LTA has been reaching out to nearby condos and hospitals to make sure they are aware of the latest developments.
A Thomson Medical Center spokesperson told ST that the authority has assured them that the number of lanes leading to and from the hospital will not be affected, while condominium management committees have issued circulars so they can communicate to residents the nature of the work.
Originally conceived as an expressway in 2008, the NSC has undergone a change in concept to a “transit priority corridor”, which means it will include dedicated bus and bicycle lanes.
Marketed as a corridor for all, the NSC will see its bus lanes reduce bus travel to and from the city by about 10 to 15 minutes, the LTA has said, while the main bike routes in the city will contribute somehow. way to strengthen the Singapore car. -Light vision.
Motorists will also benefit as the NSC, which when completed will intersect with existing highways such as the Seletar and Pan-Island highways, will redirect traffic from the Central Freeway and shorten trips from the north to the city center. .
There are those who are looking forward to the completion of the project.
A convenience store clerk in Novena, who wanted to be known only as Mr. Faishal, said he will “transform Singapore’s transportation.”
As he sat on the sidewalk watching a roadside barrier rise, he added: “This is all just a minor inconvenience. We are a city and cities evolve. There is no need to complain.”
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