Woodlands Checkpoint set to be redeveloped to five times its size

Starting in 2025, work will be done in several phases over next 10 to 15 years

Work to expand the Woodlands Checkpoint to five times its size will begin in 2025, and the first phase, comprising an extension at the Old Woodlands Town Centre and Bukit Timah Expressway, is targeted to be completed progressively from 2028.

Afterwards, the Old Woodlands Checkpoint will be demolished and integrated with the extension, which is expected to be fully operational by 2032, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Jan 29.

ICA said it plans to redevelop Woodlands Checkpoint in several phases over the next 10 to 15 years, including through land reclamation, which will be done by JTC Corporation, the government agency overseeing Singapore’s industrial spaces.

The expansion work will not disrupt the checkpoint’s operations.

After conducting feasibility and technical studies to determine the amount of land needed to meet future demand, ICA said it assessed that the land needs for the redevelopment “can only be met through land acquisition and land reclamation”.

An ICA spokesman told The Straits Times the planned area of the redeveloped checkpoint, including the existing facility, is about 95ha, which is a little more than double the size of the Marina South precinct. The current checkpoint spans about 19ha.

The spokesman did not specify the size of the reclaimed portion. 

Reclamation work is tentatively scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2024 and is estimated to be completed by 2029.

ICA said the work will start after reclamation plans are finalised and after considering feedback on an environmental impact assessment report.

JTC conducted an environmental impact assessment to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed work. The report recommended measures that can be put in place to reduce the impact on the environment, ICA said.