Lucas NeoFollowing its recently unveiled 36-kilometre coast-to-coast trail earlier this year, Singapore has just revealed its plans for a new green corridor, which will start construction in 2021.
Image credit: NParks
Called the Bukit Timah-Rochor Green Corridor, this elevated park walk will connect cyclists and pedestrians to Singapore’s national gardens: the Jurong Lake Gardens, Singapore Botanic Gardens, as well as the Gardens by the Bay.
The first phase will be a new 1.4 kilometre sky park that will run parallel to Bukit Timah Road, Singapore’s longest road. It is expected to be completed around 2022 and will be connected to the Rail Corridor at the vicinity of the conserved Bukit Timah Railway Station. Pedestrians and cyclists can look forward to a riverine forest theme in the sky park featuring diverse plant species.
The first Sky Park of its kind in Singapore
This is the first time Singapore is building a park connector that is above ground. Before, its park connectors run along the roads (meaning pedestrians still have to watch out for vehicles at intersections – a challenge especially along roads with heavy traffic). It thus makes more sense for the green corridor along Bukit Timah Road, also one of the busiest roads in Singapore, to be elevated.
As part of the Singapore government’s vision of building a “city in a garden”, there have been more initiatives to expand the current park infrastructure and natural conservation efforts. The plan is that in the future, everyone will be just a 10-minute walk away from a park.
Part of Singapore’s bigger ‘Green Corridor’ project
Image credit: (from L to R) Holiday Point, LittleMouse, Derrick Brutel
The new sky park is supposed to be part of a grand project, called the “Bukit Timah-Rochor Green Corridor”, named after the roads that the connector will pass through. If fully completed, the 11-kilometre green corridor will provide connections to the three most popular parks in Singapore: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Botanic Gardens, and Gardens by the Bay. These three parks each offer a different experience, making them popular day trips for tourists and locals alike.
Image credit: Mktkmktk
There are also plans to connect this new “Green Corridor” with the existing Rail Corridor. Part of the plan is to refurbish the nearby facilities at Bukit Timah, including the railway bridges and the old Bukit Timah Railway Station. Residents nearby sure have a lot to look forward to.
With these changes, Singaporeans and tourists can expect to travel from one park to another with a lot more ease, thanks to the park connectors. Bonus: no more getting stuck on the road or delayed by the MRT already!
