SINGAPORE - Woodleigh Bus Interchange opened on April 20, after several years of delay brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and significant engineering challenges.
Residents in the area told The Straits Times the interchange was eagerly anticipated, and they were relieved to see it finally running.
Woodleigh Bus Interchange is directly connected to Woodleigh MRT station, and is situated in the Woodleigh Village integrated development. The development comprises 330 Housing Board flats and a hawker centre.
For starters, two bus services – 146 and 148 – will operate fromthe interchange, which can accommodate up to seven services, the Land Transport Authority said.
The interchange was originally slated to be completed by 2021, but faced delays related to the pandemic and challenges in the construction process. For example, excavation work was delayed when underground utilities such as water and pipes had to be rerouted.
Bus service 146’s route has been amended to operate from the new bus interchange, serving four additional bus stops. The interchange is operated by SBS Transit.
The other service, 148, is new and will loop between Woodleigh Bus Interchange and Potong Pasir.
The service provides direct connection to the bus interchange and key amenities such as Woodleigh Mall, Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre, schools in both estates and the upcoming Bidadari Polyclinic, SBS Transit said in a statement on April 3.
The service will go through Bidadari Park Drive, Sang Nila Utama Road, Upper Aljunied Road, Potong Pasir Avenue 1 and Avenue 3, as well as Upper Serangoon Road.
The Woodleigh Village Build-To-Order (BTO) housing project was launched for sale in November 2016, and its final blocks were completed in November 2022. The Woodleigh district, which comprises 2,685 flats across three BTO projects, was the first in Bidadari to have all its flats completed.
Madam Mariam Bakar, a tuition teacher, was on board service 148 on April 20. The 60-year-old has a son living in Bidadari estate.
“Of course, his house is not far (from mine) and I could take a 15-minute walk there if I wanted to. But the bus is a real relief, it will be useful on days that are scorching hot or if it’s raining. We’ve been waiting for this for so many years,” she said.
A Bidadari resident, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lim, said he has been waiting for the interchange for three years. He moved into the estate with his wife in 2022.
“The estate is walkable, but I think all of us have been waiting for this. It will be especially useful for our grandparents who visit our home sometimes,” said the software engineer, on the opening of the interchange.
Separately, the new Pasir Ris Bus Interchange will open on April 27. It is located within an integrated development with Pasir Ris Mall and is adjacent to Pasir Ris MRT station on the East-West Line.
All 17 public bus services operating from the existing Pasir Ris Bus Interchange will be relocated to the new interchange.
The completion of the Woodleigh and Pasir Ris bus interchanges brings the total number of integrated transport hubs across Singapore to 14.
Such hubs include integrated bus interchanges that are linked to MRT stations and adjoining developments such as shopping malls, allowing commuters to run errands and shop before boarding their connecting buses or trains.
The other hubs are inAng Mo Kio, Bedok, Boon Lay, Buangkok, Clementi, Joo Koon, Sengkang, Serangoon, Toa Payoh, Bukit Panjang, Yishun and Woodlands.
3 new bus services in Toa Payoh, Tampines and Whampoa to be launchedPasir Ris, Woodleigh bus interchanges to open in late April
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