Heritage Roads in Singapore

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many heritage roads are there in Singapore and what are the criteria used to select them; and (b) whether there are specific guidelines for the maintenance and management of heritage roads.

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Mr Khaw Boon Wan: We have gazetted five Heritage Roads under the Parks and Trees Act. These are Arcadia Road, Lim Chu Kang Road, Mandai Road, Mount Pleasant Road and South Buona Vista Road. They were selected for their lush and mature roadside trees and vegetation. These roads are characterised by mature walls of natural vegetation and/or dominating and mature tree-scape. The gazette protects the green buffer of up to 10 metres on both sides of the Heritage Road.

The trees within the gazetted Heritage Road green buffer undergo a rigorous maintenance programme. The trees are pruned regularly to ensure their long-term sustainability. They are inspected at least once a year. Ad-hoc visual inspections after storm events are also carried out to ensure that the trees do not pose a public safety risk.

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