SINGAPORE – Nursing student Esther Loro, 16, often has to leave home before sunrise to get to school on time.
The Pasir Ris resident now walks 12 to 15 minutes to a bus stop in Loyang Avenue each morning to avoid traffic near her block. From there, she takes bus service 9 to ITE College East in Simei.
Without congestion, her commute takes about 25 minutes. On most days, however, traffic in Loyang Avenue stretches the journey to 45 minutes. Earlier in March, it took her 1½ hours to get home when the bus she was on was caught in a gridlock.
“I was very frustrated,” she said. She now leaves home at 6.35am to reach school by 8am.
But she takes the delays in her stride. “There’s not much they can do. (There’s) no point in complaining while they’re improving the city,” she added.
Loyang Avenue is a major construction corridor, and the area has been experiencing persistent traffic jams because of various construction works, as well as increased activity in Loyang Industrial Estate and from residents living in the area, said Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP Valerie Lee.
Construction of the 2.6km Loyang Viaduct has been ongoing since at least 2022, while Loyang MRT station – part of the Cross Island Line Phase 1 – is being built beneath the road near Loyang Lane. The underground station is expected to open around 2030 and the viaduct is expected to be completed by end-2028.
A stretch of Loyang Avenue between Pasir Ris Drive 3 and Loyang Way has been closed since 2023 until the second quarter of 2029 for the construction of Loyang MRT station and Loyang Viaduct.
Esther’s experience reflects a broader problem for residents and workers who rely on Loyang Avenue.
Mr Yeo Shuan Chee, 55, who works at Changi Cargo Complex, said his commute to and from his home in Tampines has become increasingly unpredictable. While it typically takes him about 50 minutes to get home, a recent trip on March 6 stretched to 1½ hours during the evening peak period.
On some mornings, he came close to being late for work, he said, recalling one instance when buses were stuck for about 30 minutes as traffic ground to a halt.
He said the deployment of auxiliary police officers at junctions has helped ease congestion, though lighter traffic during the March school holidays may also be a factor.
Mr Yeo suggested introducing dedicated bus lanes so that public transport would not be delayed by heavy traffic.
