Plans cancelled for underground road network in Singapore

Singapore's Land Transport Authority and Urban Redevelopment Authority have announced that plans have been scrapped for the Singapore Underground Road System (SURS), more than 20 years after it was first announced. 

The authorities jointly stated that as Singapore shifts towards reducing traffic on its roads, land previously safeguarded for SURS will be released with immediate effect. 

Intended land along the SURS route was outlined in the late-1980s and then safeguarded in 1993.

It was conceptualised as a 15km-long underground arterial ring road system around the fringe of the city aimed at meeting potential traffic growth in and out of the city centre.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority noted that as the land will be no longer be safeguarded, giving affected land owners greater flexibility in their development plans. 

Enhancements to the public transport network and changes to land-use policies have reduced the need for the underground project.

With the full opening of the Downtown Line on 21 October this year, the agencies said that public transport connectivity will further improve for the city centre, which is well-served by a comprehensive travel network. 

The Thomson-East Coast Line is slated for completion in 2024 and will connect rail commuters in northern and eastern areas of Singapore to the city centre. 

By 2030, Singapore's rail network will be 360km-long, with 90% of CBD developments close to an MRT station.