Part of Upper Aljunied Road is being realigned to free up more space for a park and bus interchange in the new Bidadari housing estate.
About half a kilometre of the current stretch that joins Upper Serangoon Road will be pedestrianised to blend into a network of cycling and walking paths around Bidadari Park and Alkaff Lake.
A new road being built will join Upper Aljunied Road to Upper Serangoon Road farther south, towards Potong Pasir.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, HDB said work to realign the road is under way. “The expunction of part of the existing Upper Aljunied Road is expected to take place in end-2016, in tandem with the opening of the proposed realigned road,” a spokesman said.
The pedestrianised road, with its canopy of mature trees, fits well into the lush blueprint for Bidadari, which is described as “a community in a garden”
It intersects with Bidadari Greenway – a 1.6km-long, 20m-wide “mini-boulevard” that weaves through the estate and is lined with rest spots as well as commercial and communal facilities.
“Corresponding to the rich heritage in Bidadari, the pedestrianised road will become part of a unique Heritage Walk which will incorporate stories of Bidadari and the contributions of prominent personalities of the past,” the HDB spokesman said.
It will also be connected to the planned pedestrian and cycling network within Bidadari. The town will be well served by cycling paths, which will join the Kallang park connector in the south, and Sungei Serangoon and Punggol Park in the north.
The realignment of Upper Aljunied Road will also free up space for the future integrated transport hub planned at the site of the Woodleigh MRT station. It will boast a semi-subterranean bus interchange.
Potong Pasir MP Sitoh Yih Pin said: “I am very familiar with the area. I grew up in Block 2, Upper Aljunied Lane, which is still there.
“Bidadari will be three times the size of Potong Pasir. We have faith in HDB and town planners that they will build an inclusive estate. The bus terminus fits in with our vision of a ‘car-lite’ community.”
Another road that will be realigned is Punggol Road. A stretch between Punggol Waterway Park and Punggol Jetty will be turned into a heritage green link. A parallel road to the right will be built.
This will result in neater parcels of land reserved for Punggol’s “creative cluster” for innovative new industries and “learning corridor”, which will house the campus of the Singapore Institute of Technology.
NParks, which will pedestrianise Punggol Road, said: “Old Punggol Road will be progressively transformed into a 1.5km-long Heritage Trail for all to enjoy leisurely strolls, jogging and cycling amid lush greenery.”
It would not say when this will happen, but The Straits Times understands it will be after 2020.
christan@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on March 16, 2016.
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