No reprieve from noise of construction work: Residents

Those living near North-South Corridor want LTA to do more to help them cope

- Yong Li Xuan and Aqil Hamzah

Every day from about 1pm to 3pm, the floor of Mr Min Thit Saing's rental unit shakes due to the construction work going on metres away from his home at Block 10D Braddell View.

The operations executive works primarily from home, so he also has to deal with the pounding and whirring of machines used to construct the North-South Corridor (NSC), a 21.5km transport route that will run right next to the 24year-old's apartment block.

"The noise is terrible," he told The Straits Times in late 2022. "The best I can do is close the windows and curtains, and after a while, it just becomes a part of the background."

In Thomson Road, Mr Jack Patel and his wife have taken more drastic measures - spending $2,000 to soundproof their 19-month-old baby's room because the noise was affecting the child's sleep.

According to the couple, who are both educators, construction work outside their apartment can start early in the morning and end past midnight. "There's no peace and quiet, and you can't relax," Mr Patel, 42, said, adding that the construction has gravely affected the family of five's quality of life.

He said the oldest of his three sons, who is six, has a sensory processing disorder, which makes the noise feel even louder.