The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has transformed the empty viaduct space under Bukit Merah Flyover into a new community space for residents’ recreational use with the construction of a hard court and installation of key infrastructure for electricity, water, and lighting. The development of the new multi-functional community space under Bukit Merah viaduct was done in consultation with Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) to cater to the needs of the residents.

2 The Official Opening of the Viaduct@JBM will take place on Saturday, 29 April 2017, 5.00pm to 8.30pm with a carnival and Getai show for 300 Tiong Bahru residents. In creating this new community space, Tanjong Pagar-Tiong Bahru CCC together with the various Grassroots Organisations (GROs) now has a new platform to engage residents through more interactive activities, like sports or arts workshops, and also a place for residents to mingle and make friends. This community space will make up for the lack in void deck and open spaces that have been converted into facilities to cater to the needs of seniors and children.

3 Residents will get to enjoy several activities which will be organised at the community space during at the official opening. The programme line-up cater for all ages, including Getai Show for the seniors, Bouncy Castle for children. Foodies can also savour Kampong Cuisine while those into sports or Arts can try out Lawn Bowling or participate in creating masterpieces on canvas.

4 Grassroots Adviser Ms Indranee Rajah said, “By adapting viaduct land into a multi-functional community space, we bring life to the barren space under the Bukit Merah viaduct. This community space is one where residents may gather, play and bond together and represents an innovative approach by the SLA to maximise land resources within our land-scarce nation”

5 “We hope to tap on the potential to creatively optimise spaces under viaducts. While land is scarce in Singapore, we do have a good number of sites under viaducts and flyovers and we are taking the opportunity to convert and put to use some of these spaces for the benefit and enjoyment by the community,” said Mr Tan Boon Khai, Chief Executive of SLA. This initiative follows the launch of the land under West Coast Flyover by SLA in January this year. The land under West Coast viaduct was fitted out with electricity and modular structures to facilitate the piloting of new concepts by social groups and entrepreneurs. Mr Tan added that “SLA will continue to study and assess more viaduct spaces for suitable uses and where feasible, build supporting infrastructure for the proposed uses.”