SINGAPORE – A traffic cross-junction in Ang Mo Kio near Mayflower Primary School will be converted into a signalised roundabout for nearly a year from 5am on Aug 18, to facilitate the construction of the North-South Corridor tunnel beneath the junction.

       In a Facebook post on Aug 12, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) noted that the roundabout at the intersection of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 and Avenue 6 will be in place till the end of July 2025.

       Motorists can use the junction to get to Marymount Road, Lentor Avenue, Yio Chu Kang Road and the Central Expressway (CTE).

       LTA added that such road diversions are necessary to create enough space for works on the North-South Corridor to proceed safely, since the corridor passes through busy and heavily built-up areas. The cross-junction will be reinstated once the construction is completed.

       Noting possible delays for people travelling in the area, the authority urged all motorists and commuters to plan their journeys, and follow road markings on the affected roads. Motorists can also look out for signs on the affected stretches that come with clear directions to specific roads.

       LTA told The Straits Times that it carried out door-to-door engagement with affected residents, distributed circulars, and held a roadshow on July 21 to inform people of the road changes.

       It will also roll out measures such as temporary noise barriers to minimise inconvenience to residents nearby.

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       The authority added that digital message boards have been installed to provide information such as estimated travel times for motorists, and wayfinding signs will be added to guide pedestrians.

       This is the second temporary signalised roundabout set up to enable the construction of the North-South Corridor, after an earlier one was built in April 2023 to replace a busy junction near Marymount Community Club.

       The Marymount roundabout was put in place to allow construction of underground tunnels for the North-South Corridor to be done more quickly. It has since been reinstated as a cross-junction.

       Once it is completed from 2027 onwards, the 21.5km North-South Corridor is slated to cut travel time by up to 30 minutes from Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio to the city, as well as alleviate traffic snarls on the CTE.

       Stretching from Admiralty to Rochor, the corridor includes an 8.8km expressway viaduct in the north and 12.3km of underground road tunnels in the south.

       The surface streets on the North-South Corridor will be repurposed to prioritise walking, cycling, public transport and community spaces, with the construction of dedicated bus lanes and a cycling trunk route.

       Motorists who spoke to ST said the roundabout may mean longer travel times for them, but they added that they could bear with it.

       Ms Esther Chia, 46, drives past the junction weekly when she takes her son to enrichment classes near Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.

       Noting that she has no concerns about the junction’s conversion into a roundabout, the manager said the traffic lights are a good safety measure as they would make the traffic situation less chaotic at the roundabout.

       Residents who live near the junction, such as Mr Aron Tan, 48, said the many traffic lights at the roundabout may add five minutes to his daily commute from his home in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 to the CTE.

       Although he is willing to put up with this temporary situation for a year, the manager said he may detour through Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 to get to the CTE every morning.

       Others, like Mr Lim C.O, who wanted to be known only by his initials, said traffic will become much slower once the signalised roundabout is set up as motorists may need to stop at more than one traffic light.

       The 57-year-old limousine driver travels from his flat in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 to his workplace in the Central Business District via Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 almost daily.

       He described the traffic at the former roundabout near Marymount Community Club as “very bad” because he often needed to wait at least two to three minutes at each of the lights when they turned red.