Road in Serangoon North being widened as new homes sprout up
A road in Serangoon North is being widened to cope with a possible rise in vehicular traffic after residents move into new developments in the area.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) told The Straits Times that it is widening and improving a 180m stretch of Serangoon North Avenue 1. The roadworks include adding a right-turning lane towards Yio Chu Kang Road and a left-turning lane towards Serangoon North Avenue 1.
A signalised traffic junction will also be installed to ease the flow of traffic.
The roadworks are set to be completed by 2024.
A housing development in the works is Affinity at Serangoon, which will have 1,052 units. The mega condominium, developed by Oxley Holdings, is expected to be ready in 2024.
In addition, Housing Board project Serangoon North Vista – set for completion by the third quarter of 2027 – is expected to contribute to the traffic build-up. Comprising five blocks, the Build-To-Order development will have 129 five-room and 201 four-room units.
Real estate agent Koh Teck Siong, who drove through the area recently, said the congestion was not too bad for the time being. “Before all these people move in, it’s definitely not going to be congested.”
Once the condominium residents move in, he expects more cars to use the roads in the area, given the large number of units.
At present, SBS Transit’s feeder bus service 315 serves the area.
Mr Koh, 51, felt it would not be necessary for LTA to add more public bus services as there will be a free shuttle service to Serangoon MRT station for Affinity at Serangoon’s residents for a year.
Taxi driver Desmond Ong, 57, lives in the area and often uses that stretch of road for work.
“Now, the traffic is still okay, but once the condo is ready, it is going to be very horrible,” Mr Ong said.
He supported LTA’s move to add a right-turning lane into Yio Chu Kang Road – in addition to the two existing ones – given the heavier traffic expected there.
Medical representative Karen Soon, 43, lives in a nearby HDB estate. She is in favour of the move to have a new left-turning lane into Serangoon North Avenue 1, which she described as “narrow” for vehicles at present.
The Ministry of Transport said previously that LTA was upgrading existing bus stops that serve the housing developments.
Wider footpaths and new cycling paths are also being built to make it easier for residents to walk or cycle to amenities nearby and the upcoming Serangoon North MRT station.
The station is part of the first phase of the Cross Island Line and is expected to be ready by 2030.
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