LINKING OF PUNGGOL TO PAN-ISLAND EXPRESSWAY

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development whether his Ministry has plans to link Punggol to the existing expressways and, if so, when.

The Minister of State for National Development (Mr Lee Yock Suan) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the PWD has plans to build an expressway linking the Pan-Island Expressway in the east to the Central Expressway in the west. This new expressway, to be called Tampines Expressway, will pass through the Punggol area. When completed, it will link Hougang New Town to existing expressways as well as to Tampines, Ang Mo Kio and Yishun New Towns.

Preliminary road survey for the expressway is now in progress. The schedule for the construction of the expressway will only be known after the completion of the surveys at the end of the year.