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The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has announced that a major expansion of the Woodlands Checkpoint will commence in 2025.
The project will increase the size of the checkpoint fivefold, with an initial focus on expanding the Old Woodlands town centre and Bukit Timah Expressway. This phase is expected to be completed by 2028.
The plan involves demolishing the old Woodlands Checkpoint and integrating it with the new extension, which is expected to be fully operational by 2032. The redevelopment is part of a wider 10 to 15-year strategy involving land acquisition and reclamation, which is being overseen by JTC.
The ICA said despite the scale of the works, operations at the checkpoint would not be affected.
After detailed feasibility and technical studies, we found that land acquisition and reclamation were necessary to meet future demand.
An ICA spokesman said the rebuilt checkpoint, including the existing facilities, will cover about 95 hectares. This is more than double the area of Marina South. The current checkpoint covers about 19 hectares.
Land reclamation is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2029. Previously, the reclamation plan has been finalised and has taken into account feedback from the environmental impact assessment report conducted by JTC. The report proposed measures to mitigate environmental impacts, so ICA does not expect the redevelopment to cause major environmental problems.
The expansion is necessitated by a surge in footfall at Woodlands Checkpoint, which has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of around 300,000 passengers per day, with footfall typically increasing during holidays and long weekends. This is a significant increase from the 230,000 passengers per day recorded in 2000. By 2050, this figure is expected to reach 400,000 passengers.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jackson Tan, commander of Woodlands Checkpoint, highlighted the limitations of the current infrastructure in addressing traffic congestion. The reconstruction aims to reduce the average clearance time from 60 minutes to 15 minutes during peak hours for all vehicle types. This will be achieved through increased automation, such as the Automated Vehicle Immigration Clearance System, and the establishment of a vehicle waiting area within the checkpoint.
The first phase of the project will expand the old Woodlands town centre to include 21 freight lanes and 78 arrival lanes, greatly increasing customs clearance capacity. In addition, these lanes can be converted into 156 motorcycle lanes to effectively manage traffic during peak hours.
To ease road congestion during peak hours, a direct route to the Bukit Timah Expressway will be built, while the surrounding road network will be upgraded. To minimize ecological impact, the BKE extension will be aligned with the eastern edge of Marsiling Park. Noise barriers and traffic signs will also be implemented to reduce the impact of construction on nearby residential areas.
Nicholas Lai, a local resident and consultant, expressed concern about the noise and dust that the construction might generate, but acknowledged that it would help ease traffic congestion at the checkpoint.
“The expansion is a good move as congestion at the checkpoints and along the Johor Causeway would inconvenience people travelling to and from Johor Bahru. But in this neighbourhood, 10 to 15 years is too long to build,” he said.
The next phase of reconstruction will involve building new clearance facilities on expropriated and reclaimed land and renovating existing checkpoints, with details pending completion of design studies.
ICA also clarified that there are no plans to upgrade the Causeway as the capacity of the Causeway is sufficient. During the 2023 Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim discussed the project, with Anwar expressing support and agreeing to facilitate the sale of land required for the redevelopment.
In May 2022, ICA announced the acquisition of nine Housing Board blocks at Marsiling Crescent and Lane for the project, which will provide residents with benefits comparable to those under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme.
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Image source: Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
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