North-South Corridor: Concern, resignation among residents and businesses as works stretch to 2031

The North-South Corridor (NSC) construction site in Thomson Road. The NSC will be progressively opened from 2029, instead of 2027.

Lee Nian Tjoe and Maryam Munshi

Published Sep 18, 2026, 07:40 PM

Updated Sep 18, 2026, 07:48 PM

Residents and businesses along the North-South Corridor face two more years of construction, causing noise, disruption, reduced foot traffic, and traffic confusion, with some fearing business survival.

The Land Transport Authority delayed the corridor’s opening to 2029-2031 due to construction challenges near roads and MRT infrastructure, but noise is expected to reduce from 2027.

Despite frustrations, some residents appreciate LTA’s efforts to minimise disruption, while the completed corridor aims to improve connectivity and convert surface roads into community spaces.

SINGAPORE – Residents and businesses along the North-South Corridor (NSC), who face two more years of construction , have voiced a mix of concerns and resignation, with some shopkeepers fearing they may not survive the wait.

The Straits Times spoke to more than 30 residents, businesses and motorists, who touched on a range of concerns. Some businesses said the years of construction have affected visibility and footfall, while residents cited noise and disruption to their living environment.

Motorists and commuters said repeated road diversions and shifting bus stops have made getting around more difficult, although some felt the inconvenience was manageable.

Alson Lee, owner of Torimaro Charcoal Grill and Sake Bar at Novena Regency, said he is unsure if his business will survive past 2028 as walk-in customers are few. Relocating is not an option because of the high rent elsewhere, he added.

Novena Regency is a mixed development in Thomson Road. A large part of its facade is obscured by the construction.

A few doors away, Indian restaurant Tipsy Tikka manager Eason Olongayo said the construction hoarding has made it difficult to draw walk-in customers.

“We’ve been trying to do everything to try and pull customers in but it’s too hard to break even,” he said.

At The Clueless Goat, a speciality coffee shop in Goldhill Centre in Thomson Road, owner Demelza Ang is counting on regular patrons to stay afloat as road diversions and traffic congestion confuse and frustrate prospective customers.

“I just hope that there will not be any more delays and once this is all done, it will be worth it,” she said.

The NSC viaduct, which runs from Admiralty West Road to Lentor Avenue, will now open in stages from 2029, instead of 2027, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Sept 17.

The tunnel section from Lentor Avenue to East Coast Parkway will open in phases from 2031, instead of 2029.

The construction of the 21.5km corridor met with unexpected challenges at various stages in places like the Novena and Thomson area. This led to construction methods being modified and completion timelines revised, according to the LTA.

The location of the worksites – near existing roads, major utilities and operational MRT infrastructure – added to the challenge.

However, LTA said as the majority of the foundation works are complete, noise levels will reduce from 2027 as most of the remaining works are done underground. Roads and footpaths will also be gradually reinstated from 2028.

For some merchants in the Novena and Thomson area, two more years of construction can be challenging.

For appointment-only nail salon Tella’s, located at Royal Square in Novena, visibility is less of a concern than traffic congestion.

Owner Stella Tan said traffic can be bad enough for customers to turn up late. She is not bothered by the delay of the construction as it was already underway when she opened her shop in 2025.

However, she hopes that as the project progresses, access to the building will be “as straightforward as possible”.

Some residents are taking the news in their stride, while others are frustrated, knowing that construction will go on longer than expected.

Mok Zining moved into her condominium in Shunfu in 2022, expecting construction to be completed by 2027.

After putting up with persistent noise and shifting road layouts, she is now considering looking for a new home.

“I’ve signed up with a specific timeline in mind, but with the delays, it’s a bit hard to remember the vision for the corridor,” she said.

Others, like Novena resident Teddy Liu, are more patient. He expected construction to continue for quite a while more, so he is not bothered much by the new timeline, he said.

Liu added that LTA has been quick in resolving issues in his neighbourhood. This includes moving the location of temporary traffic junctions needed for road diversion within a week of residents’ complaints.

“I can feel that they are putting in the effort to minimise the disruption and trying to improve the process,” he said.

Some residents are not even aware of the previous construction timeline, given how long the works have been under way.

Research scientist Prashant Mainali moved to a co-living apartment in Pemimpin Drive near Bishan in 2024. The delay means he will have to continue adjusting his commute as road diversions change, but Mainali said he is staying put because moving would be too much of a hassle.

Road diversions have also caused confusion for motorists like part-time private-hire car driver Vadiveloo Jagarajan, 68.

The Dorset Road resident said he usually gets ride bookings from the nearby KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital when he starts his shift, but the route has been affected by road diversions numerous times.

He added that he did not expect construction to be completed soon, but better signage can help motorists navigate the diversions.

The shifting road layout did not spare bus stops. Undergraduate Sam Joseph, who lives in Thomson Road, said a nearby bus stop was moved by a few metres every fortnight or so last year.

Still, it remains somewhat close to her home. “I’d rather have a slightly moved bus stop than no bus stop,” she said.

The NSC construction began in 2018, and was expected to end by 2026. However, the Covid-19 pandemic hit all building projects in Singapore , and the NSC end-date was pushed back to 2029.

When completed, the NSC will boost connectivity from the northern part of Singapore to the city, serving towns like Sembawang, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio.

As more traffic is directed to the NSC, surface streets along the corridor will be converted to become paths for walking and cycling, public transport and community spaces.

Additional reporting by Jean Wee

Lee Nian Tjoe is senior transport correspondent at The Straits Times, where he also oversees the Motoring section.

汤申路南北走廊（NSC）施工现场。南北走廊将从2029年开始逐步开放，而不是原计划的2027年。

Lee Nian Tjoe 和 Maryam Munshi

发布于2026年9月18日晚上7:40

更新于2026年9月18日晚上7:48

南北走廊沿线的居民和企业将面临长达两年的施工，这将造成噪音、干扰、人流量减少和交通混乱，一些人担心企业能否生存下去。

由于道路和地铁基础设施附近的施工挑战，陆路交通管理局将该走廊的开放时间推迟到 2029-2031 年，但预计从 2027 年开始噪音将会减少。

尽管居民们感到沮丧，但一些居民还是赞赏陆路交通管理局为尽量减少干扰所做的努力，而竣工后的走廊旨在改善连通性，并将地面道路改造成社区空间。

新加坡——南北走廊（NSC）沿线的居民和商家面临着长达两年的施工期，他们对此既担忧又无奈，一些店主甚至担心自己可能无法熬过这段等待期。

《海峡时报》采访了30多位居民、商户和驾车人士，他们表达了各种各样的担忧。一些商户表示，多年的施工影响了道路的可见度和客流量，而居民则抱怨噪音扰民，影响了他们的生活环境。

驾车者和通勤者表示，道路反复改道和公交车站迁移使出行更加困难，尽管有些人认为这种不便尚可接受。

诺维娜丽晶酒店（Novena Regency）的Torimaro炭烤清酒吧老板Alson Lee表示，由于客流量稀少，他不确定自己的生意能否撑过2028年。他还补充说，由于其他地方租金高昂，搬迁也不现实。

诺维娜丽晶酒店是汤申路上的一个综合开发项目。其大部分外立面已被施工遮挡。

几步之遥的印度餐厅 Tipsy Tikka 的经理 Eason Olongayo 表示，施工围挡使得吸引散客变得困难。

“我们一直在努力想方设法吸引顾客，但要实现收支平衡太难了，”他说。

位于汤申路金山中心的特色咖啡店“糊涂山羊”的老板德梅尔扎·昂 (Demelza Ang) 指望着老顾客们能维持下去，因为道路改道和交通拥堵让潜在的顾客感到困惑和沮丧。

“我只希望不要再有任何延误，一旦这一切完成，一切都将是值得的，”她说。

陆路交通管理局 (LTA) 于 9 月 17 日表示，连接海军部西路和伦多大道的 NSC 高架桥将从 2029 年开始分阶段开放，而不是原定的 2027 年。

从伦托大道到东海岸公园大道的隧道段将从 2031 年开始分阶段开放，而不是原计划的 2029 年。

据陆路交通管理局称，这条21.5公里长的走廊建设在诺维娜和汤申地区等地的多个阶段都遇到了意想不到的挑战，导致施工方法需要修改，竣工时间表也需要调整。

施工地点靠近现有道路、主要公用设施和运营中的地铁基础设施，这增加了施工难度。

不过，陆路交通管理局表示，由于大部分基础工程已经完成，剩余工程大多在地下进行，因此噪音水平将从2027年起降低。道路和人行道也将从2028年起逐步恢复。

对于诺维娜和汤申地区的某些商家来说，再过两年的施工可能会带来挑战。

对于位于诺维娜皇家广场的预约制美甲沙龙Tella's来说，交通拥堵比店铺的可见度更重要。

店主陈思婷表示，交通拥堵已经够让人头疼的了，顾客经常会迟到。她并不在意工程延期，因为在她2025年开业时，工程就已经开始了。

不过，她希望随着项目的推进，进入这座建筑的通道能够“尽可能地便捷”。

一些居民对这一消息表现得比较平静，而另一些居民则感到沮丧，因为他们知道施工时间将比预期更长。

莫子宁于 2022 年搬进了她在顺福的公寓，预计该公寓将于 2027 年竣工。

在忍受了持续不断的噪音和不断变化的道路布局之后，她现在正在考虑寻找新的住所。

“我当初签约时心中有一个具体的时间表，但由于延误，现在很难记住这条走廊的愿景了，”她说。

另一些人，比如诺维娜居民刘先生，则更有耐心。他说，他预计工程还会持续相当长一段时间，所以对新的工期并不太在意。

刘先生补充说，陆路交通管理局（LTA）在解决他所在社区的问题方面行动迅速。这包括在接到居民投诉后一周内，就更改了道路改道所需的临时交通路口的位置。

他说：“我能感受到他们正在努力减少干扰，并试图改进流程。”

由于工程已经进行了很长时间，一些居民甚至不知道之前的施工时间表。

研究科学家普拉尚特·迈纳利 (Prashant Mainali) 于 2024 年搬到碧山附近的彭明平路 (Pemimpin Drive) 的一间合租公寓。由于道路改道路线的变化，他不得不继续调整通勤路线，但迈纳利表示他不会搬家，因为搬家太麻烦了。

道路改道也给像 68 岁的兼职私人出租车司机 Vadiveloo Jagarajan 这样的驾车者造成了困惑。

这位住在多塞特路的居民表示，他通常在上班时会接到附近KK妇女儿童医院的拼车订单，但这条路线多次受到道路改道的影响。

他还补充说，他不指望施工很快完成，但更好的指示牌可以帮助驾车者避开绕行路线。

道路布局的改变也影响到了公交车站。住在汤申路的大学生萨姆·约瑟夫说，去年附近一个公交车站大约每两周就会移动几米。

不过，它离她家仍然不算太远。“我宁愿公交车站稍微挪一下位置，也不愿没有公交车站，”她说。

国家体育中心 (NSC) 的建设始于 2018 年，原计划于 2026 年完工。然而，新冠疫情冲击了新加坡的所有建筑项目，NSC 的竣工日期被推迟到 2029 年。

建成后，国家卫星通道将提升新加坡北部与市区的交通连接，服务于三巴旺、义顺和宏茂桥等城镇。

随着越来越多的交通流向国家安全走廊，沿线的地面街道将被改造成步行和自行车道、公共交通道和社区空间。

Jean Wee 亦有报道

李念祖是《海峡时报》的高级交通记者，同时负责汽车版块。