SINGAPORE – The Transport Ministry and the Land Transport Authority will be housed under one roof in a new integrated complex at the Jurong East MRT station.
In response to press queries, an LTA spokesman said international architectural firm Aedas has been appointed to conduct multi-disciplinary consultancy services for the project, including the design of the building.
The latest Budget book stated that $56.8 million has been set aside for the study as well as site investigations.
“As part of overall efforts to optimise land use by decentralising government offices away from the city centre, MoT and LTA are planning for a new MoT-LTA Building adjacent to the existing Jurong East MRT station,” the LTA spokesman said, adding that the project would include an integrated transport hub.
The MoT-LTA Building is slated for completion after 2020. It will free up sites currently taken up by the two organisations, including those at prime locations such as North Bridge Road and Hampshire Road.
It will also accommodate LTA’s burgeoning headcount, currently hovering around 6,000. The LTA recently opened office premises in Bedok because there was no more space at its Hampshire Road location.
National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der-Horng said: “This is part of the decentralisation effort. Singapore’s urban development style was overly concentrated in the current CBD and Marina Bay.
“From a transport point of view, this type of development will inevitably cause stronger tidal effects and burden transport networks and public transport systems.
“Given Jurong East’s role as the second CBD, government can take the lead to move their offices there… We have seen similar efforts in other cities such as Seoul and Beijing, and even Kuala Lumpur.”
The LTA had previously wanted to build a multi-storey headquarter complex next to Buona Vista MRT station. That development – which was to cost around $500 million – would have yielded 120,000 sq m of office space, of which the authority had planned to lease out about half.
But a public outcry over the project’s price tag derailed that plan. The site is now occupied by the New Creation Church.
This article was first published on April 14, 2017.
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