Editor's note on Jan. 21, 3:30pm: The headline of this article has been amended for accuracy. 

In response to changing travelling habits, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has been exploring potential locations where road lanes can be repurposed for wider footpaths, pedestrianised streets or cycling paths.

In a release on Jan. 21, LTA announced that an upcoming project is the partial pedestrianisation of Woodlands Ring Road, located between Woodlands Drive 63 and Drive 71.

The road is adjacent to Kampung Admiralty which is frequented by residents from Sembawang and Woodlands, according to Minister for Transport Ong Ye Kung.

Temporary changes to road lanes

The westbound lane of this road lane will be closed off starting from February 2021.

Residents, as well as students from nearby schools - MINDS Woodlands Gardens School, Woodlands Ring Primary and Secondary Schools, as well as Spectra Secondary School - will have more space for walking and cycling.

Access to Kampung Admiralty, Admiralty MRT station and other amenities will become more convenient for pedestrians too.

The eastbound road (towards Drive 63) will be converted to a bus-only road, for buses and emergency vehicles only.

LTA will temporarily modify the road layout by placing water-filled barriers along the stretch of Woodlands Ring Road to close off the westbound road (towards Drive 71) from private vehicular traffic.

To seek public feedback

The agency will be engaging the community to seek feedback and suggestions.

If the public is supportive of this project, permanent infrastructural changes will be made in the second phase, LTA said.

Ong also said in his post that more projects in the pipeline to turn Singapore into "a greener and car-lite city through a careful and sensible balance of trade-offs".

Top photo via LTA