Oral Reply by Minister for Transport to Parliamentary Questions on Completion of the North-South Corridor

Oral Reply by Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Transport in light of LTA’s announcement of unexpected new challenges in the construction of the North-South Corridor in September 2026, what impact are these challenges expected to have on residents and commuters affected by the ongoing construction.

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Transport regarding the two-year delay to the North-South Corridor

a.          why affected stakeholders were not alerted earlier to emerging ground condition risks and potential delays;

b.          what accountability frameworks, cost-overrun liabilities, and contractual penalties apply to the project teams and contractors; and

c.           what measures will prevent further delays beyond the revised 2029 and 2031 milestones.

Ms Poh Li San asked the Minister for Transport as the completion of the expressway for the North-South Corridor will be delayed by two years

a.          how will affected residents and business owners along the Lentor Avenue to Admiralty Road West viaduct section be supported with the longer periods of road closures and noise disturbances; and

b.          how will construction safety be stepped up given the harder-than-expected site conditions.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked the Minister for Transport regarding delays to the North-South Corridor

a.          whether engineering complexities and geological, groundwater and subsurface risks encountered were identified in pre-construction site investigations;

b.          if so, why were they not adequately addressed as part of construction plans; and 

c.           whether the LTA can publish the ground information provided to tenderers and the actual conditions encountered at affected sites.

Ms Lee Hui Ying asked the Minister for Transport

a.          what is the assessment of the additional impact of the delayed completion of the North-South Corridor on Nee Soon South residents and businesses near the construction sites, including prolonged noise and dust exposure and disruption to access; and

b.          what are the measures taken to mitigate the impact.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport in view of the revised completion timeline for the North-South Corridor and LTA’s plans to expedite works where feasible, what additional workplace safety safeguards will be implemented to ensure that increased schedule pressures on contractors and subcontractors do not compromise worker safety.

Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Transport on the two-year delay to the North-South Corridor's completion

a.          what support measures will be offered to businesses and residents affected; and

b.          whether active project management measures can be undertaken to reduce the impact to businesses that will continue to be affected.

Ms Elysa Chen asked the Minister for Transport in light of the further delays to the completion of the North-South Corridor as announced on 17 September 2026

a.          what assessment has been made of the impact on businesses fronting the construction corridor; and

b.          whether rental or other relief will be extended to affected businesses.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked the Minister for Transport regarding the developments along the North-South Corridor

a.          what measures are in place to monitor the structural integrity of the Corridor, nearby ground and infrastructure given the scale of construction works; and

b.          how frequently are these monitoring reviews conducted.

Mr Jackson Lam asked the Minister for Transport regarding the delayed opening of the North-South Corridor

a.          what are the main factors contributing to the delay;

b.          what is the current estimated increase in project cost; and

c.           how much of any additional cost is expected to be borne by LTA and contractors, respectively.

Mr Lee Hong Chuang asked the Minister for Transport

a.          given the delays to the North-South Corridor, what is LTA’s assessment of the project’s current construction timeline and whether there is a risk of further delays;

b.          what additional costs are expected from any further delays; and

c.           whether the Ministry will consider further support for residents and businesses affected by prolonged construction works and associated disruptions.

Reply by Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow:

 1.         Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Numbers 12 to 17 together, as well as related questions filed for subsequent sittings?

 2.         I thank Members for their questions.

 3.         I know that the revised timeline for the North-South Corridor has caused some unhappiness, particularly among those who have already been living with the construction for some time.

a.          For residents, it means more noise, dust and general inconvenience at home.

b.          For businesses, it has affected customer traffic.

c.           And for commuters and motorists, road diversions have meant congestion and longer journeys.

4.          This is not the first time that LTA has revised the timelines for the North-South Corridor. So I fully understand the frustration.

5.          Let me explain three key aspects of the delay in my response today:

a.          Why LTA has concluded that more time is necessary;

b.          What we are doing to improve conditions for residents and businesses in the meantime;

c.           And how LTA will complete the remaining works safely.

Why More Time is Required

6.          The North-South Corridor is one of the most complex road projects we have undertaken in Singapore. It passes through densely built-up areas, including homes and older buildings, and bypasses major utilities, heavily used roads and even MRT lines. In some places, we had to tunnel less than a metre away from the North-South Line and Circle Line, which are both in operational use.

7.          Mr Yip Hon Weng and Mr Louis Chua asked if soil investigations had surfaced sufficient information on underground conditions and engineering risks, and whether such information is shared with tenderers.

a.          LTA already shares its soil investigation results publicly through the Integrated Land Information Service web portal. This includes both pre-construction information and actual ground conditions as the information is uncovered.

b.          Soil investigations are not exhaustive. They are done on a sampling basis, using both scanning tools and drilling in specific areas. There are limits to what we can detect, especially when ground conditions are not uniform.

c.           As excavation progressed, the actual conditions at several locations turned out to be different, and more difficult, than the soil investigations had indicated.

8.          For example, at Gambas Avenue and Woodlands Avenue 8, harder rock was found at shallower depths than expected. At Novena, the rock was fractured, and groundwater was seeping through the cracks.

9.          After encountering these obstacles, LTA and its contractors tried various ways to resolve the problems. They deployed additional manpower and equipment, adjusted construction methods, and changed the sequence of works where possible. After going through all possible options, LTA’s engineers have assessed that trying to compress the programme further with the known ground conditions would introduce significant additional safety risks.

10.        This is not a trade-off that we should make. As I shared, these works are taking place beside people's homes, roads that remain in use, and in some places, operational MRT infrastructure. We will move as quickly as we safely can. But we will not rush the work, if doing so puts workers, residents or commuters at risk.

11.        The revised plan is therefore for the viaduct from Admiralty Road West to Lentor Avenue to open in phases from 2029, and the tunnel from Lentor Avenue to the East Coast Parkway to open in phases from 2031.

12.        Mr Jackson Lam, Mr Lee Hong Chuang and Mr Yip Hon Weng asked about the costs of this delay. The delay will likely result in a higher project cost. However, as LTA is still assessing the extent of permissible claims by contract, we are unable to provide an updated project cost at this point. We will do so later.

What Residents and Businesses Can Expect

13.        Ms Denise Phua, Ms Lee Hui Ying, Ms Joan Pereira and Ms Elysa Chen asked what can be done for residents and businesses. While we have revised the opening dates, the current conditions will improve as we get closer to the completion.

14.        Residents’ concerns about noise, dust and disamenities are generally due to construction works on the surface.

a.          I have asked LTA to prioritise the completion of surface works, so that surface conditions start to improve from next year onwards.

b.          We should be able to complete the most major structural works that create the most noise and dust by the end of 2027.

c.           Thereafter, LTA will reinstate roads, footpaths and other affected spaces from 2028 onwards.

d.          For example, by mid-2028, the surface for Lentor Avenue and Sembawang Road should be fully restored.

15.        I have also asked LTA to pay particular attention to businesses along the construction route.

a.          For neighbourhood businesses, changes to pedestrian routes or road access affect customer traffic.

b.          LTA has installed signs and banners to help guide customers to affected businesses.

c.           When surface works are completed, many access routes for pedestrians will be restored, as a priority. In the meantime, LTA will also try to introduce more direct walking routes to shops and F&B establishments, to make it easier for customers to reach these businesses.

16.        The circumstances differ from location to location. LTA will work with Advisers to engage residents and businesses on the ground as works progress. Where there are practical things that can be done to improve conditions, we will consider them seriously.

17.        Ms Elysa Chen, Mr Lee Hong Chuang, and Ms Joan Pereira asked if additional financial support could be given to affected businesses and residents.

a.          Several businesses in HDB rental shops most affected by NSC construction works have been receiving rental rebates. HDB will continue to extend these rebates where there are grounds to do so.

b.          As a general principle, the Government does not compensate stakeholders for project delays. Doing so would add significant costs upfront to these projects, because we would have to insure against multiple unknown scenarios.

c.           But that does not mean we are leaving businesses and residents to fend for themselves. As I emphasised, LTA will do what we can to complete the project as soon as possible, and work with the Advisers to improve the conditions as quickly as we can.

Safety and Preventing Further Delays

18.        Sir, let me now briefly speak about how LTA will complete the remaining works safely. I am glad that several Members have emphasised the importance of this. Many Singaporeans have also written to me expressing the same sentiment – that it is better to build safely than to rush the work.

19.        I agree completely. I want to assure Members that LTA is fully on top of this. Safety checks are built into every stage. I recently visited one of the North-South Corridor worksites, and the LTA engineers showed me how this is done. Before works begin, professional engineers review the design and work procedures, and contingency plans are put in place. During the works, LTA monitors the ground, groundwater, nearby buildings and structures using an array of instruments, including sensors to monitor vibrations, cracks, or tilts. These sensors issue early warning alerts if there are anomalies, like ground displacement.

20.        The teams take all necessary precautions. If they detect anything that requires further investigations, works will be paused until engineers determine it is safe to continue. If ground conditions differ from what was expected, LTA will adjust construction methods accordingly. For example, due to ground conditions at Novena, LTA switched to excavating in smaller sections, so that each section could be strengthened before workers move to the next. If any feedback from residents and businesses is received in the vicinity, LTA also responds quickly.

Conclusion

21.        Mr Speaker, the North-South Corridor is needed to improve connectivity between the north and the city, while giving us more space above ground for public transport, walking and cycling. These connections are important to support new towns such as in Sembawang, Woodlands and Yishun. It will also alleviate some of the peak-hour congestion on existing roads, like the Central Expressway.

22.        I know these benefits are still some years away, and therefore cold comfort to the families and business owners living with the construction today.

23.        We will do everything in our power to ease the friction on the ground. At the same time, I ask for your understanding to give our engineers and workers the time and space required to complete the remaining works safely.

24.        I thank everyone for your continued patience and support.

25.        Thank you.