Elaboration on Challenges and Assistance for Residents, Commuters and Businesses Affected by North-South Corridor's Delayed Completion

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.

The Minister for Transport (Mr Jeffrey Siow): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 12 to 17 together, as well as related questions filed for subsequent Sittings?

Mr Speaker: Please go ahead.

Mr Jeffrey Siow: Thank you, Sir. I thank the Members for their questions on the North-South Corridor.

Mr Speaker, I know the revised timeline for the North-South Corridor has caused significant unhappiness, particularly amongst those who have already been living with the construction for some time. For residents, it means more noise, more dust and general inconvenience at home. For businesses, it has affected customer traffic. And for commuters and motorists, road diversions have meant congestion and longer journeys.

This is not the first time that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has revised the timelines for the North-South Corridor. So, I fully understand the frustration.

I would like to explain three key aspects of the delay in my response today. First, why LTA has concluded that more time is necessary; second, what we are doing to improve conditions for residents and businesses in the meantime; and third, how LTA will complete the remaining works safely.

Mr Speaker, 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 Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines. In some spaces or places, we had to tunnel less than one-metre away from the North-South Line and Circle Line.

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. The answer is yes. 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.

But soil investigations are not exhaustive. They are done on a sampling basis, using both scanning tools as well as physical drilling in key areas. There are limits to what we can detect, especially when ground conditions are variable.

As excavation progressed, it turned out that the actual conditions at several locations were different and in fact, more difficult than the soil investigations had earlier indicated. For example, at Gambas Avenue and Woodlands Avenue 8, harder rock was found at shallower depths than expected. And at Novena, the rock was fractured and groundwater was seeping through the cracks.

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 would introduce significant additional safety risks.

Mr Speaker, 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.

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.

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

Ms Denise Phua, Ms Lee Hui Ying and Ms Joan Pereira as well as 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 completion.

Residents' concerns about noise, dust and disamenities are generally due to construction works and activities on the surface. I have asked LTA to prioritise the completion of surface works, so that surface conditions start to improve from next year onwards. We should be able to complete most of the major structural works that create the most noise and dust by the end of 2027. Thereafter, LTA will begin reinstating roads, footpaths and other affected spaces from 2028 onwards. For example, by mid-2028, the surface for Lentor Avenue and Sembawang Road should be fully restored.

I have also asked LTA to pay particular attention to businesses along the construction route. For neighbourhood businesses, changes to pedestrian routes or road access affect customer traffic. We know that. LTA has installed signs and banners to help guide customers to the affected businesses.

When surface works have 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 food and beverage establishments, to make it easier for customers to reach these businesses.

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

Ms Elysa Chen, Mr Lee Hong Chuang and Ms Joan Pereira also asked if additional financial support could be given to affected businesses and residents. Several businesses in the Housing and Development Board (HDB) rental shops most affected by the construction works have been receiving rental rebates on a case-by-case basis. HDB will continue to extend these rebates where there are grounds to do so.

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

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

I agree completely. I want to assure Members that LTA is on top fully, of the safety agenda. Safety checks are built into every stage.

I recently visited one of the North-South Corridor worksites and the LTA engineers showed me all that they are doing. Before works begin, professional engineers review the design and work procedures, and contingency plans are also put in place. During the works, LTA monitors the ground, groundwater, nearby buildings and structures using an array of instruments, including sensors, to monitor the slightest vibrations, cracks or tilts. These sensors issue early warning alerts if there are any anomalies, like ground displacement.

The teams take all necessary precautions. If they detect anything that requires further investigations, the works will be paused until engineers determine that 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. And if any feedback from residents and businesses is received in the vicinity, LTA responds very quickly.

Mr Speaker, the North-South Corridor is needed to improve connectivity between the north and the city, while giving us more space above the 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.

I know these benefits are still some years away and therefore, cold comfort to the families and business owners living with the construction today. 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. I thank everyone for your continued patience and support.

Mr Speaker: I am trying to get to the next block of questions during today's Question Time, so I ask Members who have supplementary questions to raise them in a very succinct manner; and likewise, for Minister to respond in a similar way. Ms Denise Phua.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng (Jalan Besar): I thank the Minister for his assurance. I first want to express my deep appreciation for the LTA teams, especially for N103, 105 and 106 project teams who have been working very, very closely with the ground. The issues at Thomson-Novena are actually very, very challenging because the residences are very small projects.

Mr Speaker: Ms Phua, please raise your supplementary question.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: But as the Minister has said, different constituents are affected differently on a daily basis. So, I would want to ask Minister if LTA can invest more heavily in the communications, besides the usual memos and telephone phones, in full, one location-specific timeline, because they are quite different and everybody has a view that it is like two years back, but it is more than that. So, location-specific timelines, in terms of road restorations, when the road diversions can be restored to normal and so on.

Two, in terms of location-specific support measures for the businesses and the residents because they are all affected differently.

My final supplementary question is that technologies have advanced a lot and projects of this size and nature are going to continue. How does the Ministry of Transport (MOT) or LTA going to prevent such incidents from happening so that the impact on the environment, the impact on our residents and businesses can be minimised?

Mr Jeffrey Siow: Mr Speaker, I will reply succinctly. First of all, I agree with Ms Phua that we will indeed try to beef up the communications on the ground. LTA has a very strong community partners network. They work with the advisers closely. And we will make sure that the communications that we provide are timely, they are accurate and they are relevant to the stakeholders affected, whether businesses or residents.

As for how to prevent the situation from happening again, I think one of the lessons we learnt from this is that we have to continue investing in good technology. I explained that soil investigation is not exhaustive, but the technology has improved over time. Compared to 15 years ago, the level of soil profile that we can understand and obtain from our sensors has improved. And over time, as we accumulate this information, the situation below the ground should not change and we should have a better understanding of what is below the ground. So, we will continue to do that and hopefully, variances like that do not surprise us as often in the future.

Mr Speaker: Mr Yip Hon Weng.

Mr Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang): Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for his reply. I appreciate that the full two-year impact of the delay only became clearer progressively. But Singaporeans working and living along the corridor certainly need to plan their schedules and their businesses. Could the Minister explain what considerations led LTA to wait until the overall delay can be quantified before informing stakeholders, rather than alerting them earlier that the existing timeline was at material risk?

Mr Jeffrey Siow: Mr Speaker, to answer the question really quickly, again, I think LTA made the announcement as soon as possible and as soon as practicable. The impact had to be ascertained by the engineers. As I explained earlier in my reply, they were focused on finding solutions. And when we discovered these difficult conditions, their priority was to see how we could continue to do the project, recover the time and do it safely.

However, as the works progressed, it became apparent that the risks were too great and so, therefore, we made the decision to have the delay, and therefore to inform the relevant stakeholder. So, there is a process for this and we tried our best to get the information out to affected stakeholders as soon as possible.

Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Speaker, just one supplementary question for the Minister. In 2008, then Minister for Transport Raymond Lim shared that the project is expected to cost about $7 billion to $8 billion and completed by 2020. I believe this is also in line with a CNA article from last month that said that the project is expected to cost $7.47 billion. Given the current situation, can the Minister share what is the current estimated budget amount for the project as well as the estimated final revised project expenditure, putting aside the cost allocation, which is yet to be determined?

Mr Jeffrey Siow: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I shared in my reply, LTA is still at the moment in the process of ascertaining claims that are being made by the contractors to ascertain what the impact on the cost will be. I do not have a cost estimate at this juncture, but we will provide that as soon as possible.

Mr Speaker: Ms Lee Hui Ying.

Ms Lee Hui Ying (Nee Soon): Mr Speaker, I just have two supplementary questions. I wanted to ask what indicators will MOT use to assess effectiveness of existing mitigating efforts in minimising impact to residents, especially in terms of pedestrian safety and noise.

Second, any delay will always have a chain effect from the contractors to subcontractors. So, has the Ministry assessed the impact on this on main contractors and subcontractors, and also what measures are in place to make sure that valid costs arising from this delay are resolved fairly and also do not result in undue cash flow problems?

Mr Jeffrey Siow: Mr Speaker, on indicators, there are, of course, objective indicators, such as noise measurements, and I suppose business impact. But actually, the most relevant indicator is the feedback from the residents and the businesses on the ground. And to that end, we will work very closely with them and the advisers to take in the feedback and make the adjustments as necessary and specific to the location.

On the effect on the main contractors and subcontractors, LTA has established a governance framework to manage the cost overruns for large project infrastructure such as this. On the one hand, the contractors are expected to price in the risks that are known. On the other hand, when the risks and the impact on their projects are affected due to reasons that are could not be known to them beforehand, LTA will then assess these and see how to make the adjustments on payments. We are still in the process of making all these adjustments.

For subcontractors that need to incur higher costs, they may, of course, work with their main contractors, as part of the usual commercial settlement process, and the main contractor will then surface these concerns to LTA.

LTA works with these main contractors and subcontractors very closely, and we will make sure that these adjudications are done fairly and responsibly.

Mr Speaker: Last supplementary question. Mr Melvin Yong.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye (Radin Mas): Thank you, Mr Speaker, my questions pertain to safety. As contractors seek to make up time, will LTA specifically monitor working hours, overtime and rest periods to ensure that the workers are not exposed to increased fatigue-related safety risks?

And given that the complex construction works involves not just main contractors, but possibly multiple layers of subcontractors, how will LTA ensure that the same safety standards are maintained throughout the contracting chain, particularly among subcontractors who may face greater pressure to meet accelerated work schedules with limited resources?

Mr Jeffrey Siow: Mr Speaker, I thank the Member for speaking about this very important point about safety. He has always been advocating workplace safety and I am very glad that he has raised this. And he is absolutely right, our focus is on making sure that the project is executed safely and we have no intention to rush the work unnecessarily. This is why we took the very difficult decision to delay the project.

LTA will work very closely with its contractors and subcontractors, many of whom have been working with us for a long time on this project. They are not unknown to us. We have worked with them very closely on making sure the safety aspects are very much taken care of. I visited the project myself and I know they pay a lot of attention to this. It is a very important project. It is a very difficult project. But it is a project where we know that safety issues are paramount and we are very focused on this.

Mr Speaker: Minister Shanmugam, do you have a clarification to make?