Work to join Bidadari to Bartley Road restarts after year-long halt

A project to join the main road of Bidadari town to Bartley Road has restarted after a one-year limbo.

- Christopher Tan

Work at the junction of Bartley Road and Bidadari Park Drive a 1.6km two-lane dual carriageway described by the Housing Board as the estate's "main transportation spine" is now slated to be completed by end-2024 or early 2025, over two years past its initial completion date in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Since HDB said in February 2023 that it was "reviewing the completion timeline" for linking the two roads owing to "technical complexities of the site", no work has been observed at the junction besides the erection of more hoardings.

In response to queries for an update, HDB said in early April that it had been working with a consultant "to review and adjust the design of the new cross junction".

Its spokesman said a revised design was completed in the fourth quarter of 2023, and that work recommenced at the junction in the first quarter of 2024.

Checks by The Straits Times last week found that a stretch of about 20m of Bidadari Park Drive leading to Bartley Road has been excavated to reduce its elevation.

The HDB spokesman said Bartley Road a heavily used six-lane dual carriageway - will still need to be raised, but by 0.7m instead of 0.9m originally.