$76m project will turn concrete canal into meandering waterway
Victoria Vaughan, Straits Times 2 Oct 09;
IT MAY not be the Mekong but Singapore's first river relocation project is set to make waves at Bishan Park.
The concrete of the Kallang drainage canal will be torn up and the waterway brought into the park as a meandering river, complete with gentle slopes and plant-covered banks.
Costing about $76 million, the flagship project is part of the Active Beautiful Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme from Singapore's water authority PUB, in collaboration with the National Parks Board.
The stretch of canal currently runs along the length of the park.
During its conversion into a 3km- long river, it will be worked on in sections to minimise disruption for the park's three million annual visitors. It will be completed in 2011.
The project, ABC Waters@Kallang River-Bishan Park, aims to be environmentally sustainable. The old concrete from the original canal will be recycled to help stabilise the new river banks, and any trees displaced by the construction will be replanted in the park or recycled and used as part of the river banks.
Last December, work began on a 60m test-bed project at the park to study the plants and materials most suitable for lining the banks of the new river.
This is the first time soil bioengineering - the combination of plants with traditional engineering - has been used in a tropical climate.
One of the designers of the new river, Mr Herbert Dreiseitl, founder of city planning firm Atelier Dreiseitl Asia, explained that an important lesson learnt from the test bedding was that 'some of the plants grow too fast in the tropical climate, this will lead to high maintenance costs - so we won't be using them'.
The river and planting project will halve the speed of rain torrents, which currently run through the park at about 7.2kmh, or at a jogging pace.
This will help cut down on surges into the canal system during heavy rain, which can lead to flash floods.
'We expect the river to be safer than before. We will be using non-slippery surfaces by the side of the river. and the shallow valley will mean it will flow very slowly,' added Mr Dreiseitl, who is working with engineering firm CH2M Hill Singapore on the project.
Barriers will still be in place at steep banks but gentle slopes will allow park goers to dip their toes at the water's edge, fish and see the rich biodiversity - frogs, dragonflies and fish - found in the test-bed area.
The foliage along the banks also serves as a filtration system for the water, extracting phosphates and nitrates, as well as some heavy metals, leading to cleaner water flowing into Marina Reservoir.
Mr Yap Kheng Guan, PUB's director of the 3P Network, said: 'There are so many blue spaces in Singapore; if we can turn them into interesting spaces, we are really adding a new dimension to Singapore life.
'When people enjoy the river, they want to keep it clean. We have seen this at Kolam Ayer (the ABC Waters pilot project completed in April last year).'
The upgraded park will also feature a river promenade, which can play host to events, and three new playgrounds - an adventure playground for active teens, a bubble playground set in sand for young children and a water playground.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will officially launch the project tomorrow at the Teck Ghee Lantern Night to be held in Bishan Park 2.
From A to B to C
The Active Beautiful Clean (ABC) Waters programme began in February 2007. The 20-year plan is halfway through its first five- year phase.
COMPLETED PROJECTS
# Kolam Ayer Waterfront
# Bedok Reservoir floating stage, fishing deck and seating gallery.
# MacRitchie Reservoir's entrance now has a green carpark and warm-up deck.
# Marina Barrage.
SOME ONGOING PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED NEXT YEAR
# Sengkang Floating Island in Sungei Punggol.
# Rower's Bay and Family Bay at Lower Seletar Reservoir.
# Jurong Lake family water playground.
# Pandan Reservoir fishing deck and viewing platform.
# Alexandra Canal outdoor classroom with urban wetlands.
FORTHCOMING PROJECTS
# Rochor Canal
# Geylang River
# Sungei Ulu Pandan
# Sungei Pandan
# Sungei Tampines
# Sungei Api Api
# Siglap Canal - River Campus
# Siglap Canal - Kembangan Steps
The current five-year phase will see 28 projects underway.
Bishan Park undergoes $76m facelift
Ong Dai Lin, Today Online 2 Oct 09;
Singapore - One of Singapore's most popular parks is about to blossom - with a river promenade, cafes, themed playgrounds and diverse wildlife to give it vibrancy.
This will be the new face of Bishan Park after the 35-metre wide canal beside it is transformed into a river that meanders through the park - the first time a canal will be naturalised and integrated into a park in Singapore.
When completed in 2011, it will also be linked to the Kallang River.
To give the 3km man-made waterway the natural feel of a river, soil bio-engineering techniques - the use of plant materials and traditional engineering methods - will be employed for the first time in Singapore. There will be greenery and rocks along the river walls to prevent soil erosion and to beautify its banks. The greenery will also provide a natural habitat for wildlife.
This revamp is being commissioned under the Public Utilities Board's (PUB) Active, Beautiful, and Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme, after a 60m stretch of Bishan Park was converted into a river waterway as a test bed for the project last December. One of the biggest challenges, said PUB's 3P network director Yap Kheng Guan, was to decide which plants to use, as these need to survive river water currents.
The $76-million project is undertaken in conjunction with the redevelopment of the 20-year-old park by the National Parks Board. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will launch the project tomorrow.
PUB is also working on eight other projects under its ABC Waters Programme. These include the building of a floating island in Sengkang to link residents from one bank of Sungei Punggol to the other via a floating bridge. Another eight projects in areas including Rochor Canal, Geylang River and Sungei Pandan are slated to start next year.
Bringing Kallang River into Bishan Park
Government Press Release 2 Oct 09;
Marking a first in Singapore, the concrete canal in one of Singapore’s most popular parks will be converted into a natural meandering river under national water agency, PUB’s ABC Waters Programme.
The transformation of Singapore into a City of Gardens and Water is well underway under PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) Programme. Reaching mid-point in the initial five-year phase, construction will soon commence for one of the programme’s flagship projects at Bishan Park.
A joint collaboration between the national water agency and the National Parks Board (NParks), ABC Waters@Kallang River-Bishan Park will see the conversion of the concrete canal into a natural meandering river, seamlessly integrated with the park for the first time in Singapore. When completed in 2011, this will create more green and blue spaces in one of the most popular parks in Singapore, enhancing park users’ experience while still fulfilling its structural function.
Mr Tan Nguan Sen, PUB’s Director of Catchment and Waterways, said, “By seamlessly integrating Kallang River into Bishan Park, the waterway will be made more accessible to people. During dry weather, water flow will be confined to a narrow stream in the middle of the river, and park users will be able to walk along the water’s edge, bringing people closer to water.”
Mr Yeo Meng Tong, NParks' Director of Parks Development added, "Given the opportunity presented by the transformation of the canal beside Bishan Park into an accessible and landscaped waterway, NParks will introduce more community spaces and amenities including water-themed play, into the park for all to enjoy. We will also ensure that the park retains spaces for quiet relaxation, as well as areas for popular group exercises."
The additional facilities in Bishan Park include a River Promenade, suitable for events, community gatherings and festive celebrations. There will be three new playgrounds, each with a distinctive theme. The Adventure Playground will have a range of climbing play facilities for active teenagers, and younger kids will be enticed by the Bubble Playground, a cosy corner with rubber mounds set in a sea of sand. Children who love getting wet will enjoy the Water Playground, where they can learn to appreciate and value water through interacting with it.
Bioengineering techniques in Bishan Park: A natural way to build
The use of soil bioengineering techniques – or the combination of plant material with traditional engineering –is an ideal solution that combines soil retention function with aesthetics and ecological considerations in the creation of a natural river with landscaped banks. This is the first time these techniques will be applied in urbanised Singapore, and a test bed was constructed earlier this year to test out the various techniques in the nation’s tropical climate (see appendix).
“As a strong new impulse for the future, an infrastructure that can be appreciated and accessed by citizens which at the same time respects the environment in a sustainable manner also brings about a subtle change in behaviour and thinking,” Mr Herbert Dreiseitl, Founder and Partner from Atelier Dreiseitl asia adds on. “And it is through this change that we can begin to create places which are vibrant, healthy and full of socio-cultural liveliness. Bishan Park has already the beginnings of this, and bringing the river and water element back to the people, will further enhance the place.”
“To integrate the redesigned Kallang River with the park, the interface between the two zones between park and river, urban and nature is carefully considered and designed in a manner to commensurate with the naturalistic character of the river,” said Mr Dreiseitl who worked out the park and river design with his team in collaboration with CH2M Hill Singapore Pte Ltd for the engineering.
The new Bishan Park will also be home to diverse wildlife with habitats created to encourage certain species to settle and thrive. For example, reed beds will promote dragonfly communities and seasonal nectar-producing flowers will entice butterflies so people will be able to observe rich biodiversity.
ABC Waters design features: A natural way to clean
Plants with natural cleansing properties to treat water, known as ABC Waters design features, have been carefully chosen and will be used at a cleansing biotope in the park as well. These features will beautify the surroundings as well as maintain the water quality of the ponds in the park and the river naturally without the use of chemicals. In addition, a portion of its water is recycled for use for shallow water play in the Water Playground.
“As with all ABC Waters projects, a lot of thought went into planning the new park design. Workshops and consultations with various 3P (people, public, private) partners were held to ensure that the project is developed in a sustainable manner that enhances our living environment and enriches our quality of life. At the same time, we hope that everyone will play a part to keep the park and waters clean, especially since two-thirds of our island will soon become water catchment,” said Mr Tan.
Introduced in 2006, the ABC Waters Programme aims to transform Singapore's reservoirs and waterways beyond their functional uses, into beautiful and clean streams, rivers and lakes, creating new community spaces for people to enjoy recreational activities. Projects have been completed at Kolam Ayer, Bedok Reservoir, MacRitchie Reservoir and Marina Barrage, making these areas vibrant hotspots for the community. In addition, nine projects have commenced at water bodies including Lower Seletar Reservoir, Jurong Lake and Alexandra Canal, with 8 more projects slated for commencement by 2010.
For more details, please refer to appendix or visit www.pub.gov.sg/abcwaters
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be marking the commencement of the project at Bishan Park at the Teck Ghee Lantern Night cum Commencement of ABC Waters@Kallang River-Bishan Park Ceremony held this Saturday, 3 Oct 2009 at Bishan Park II.
Bishan Park to get a river by 2011
$76 million project is part of masterplan to turn waterways into venues for recreation
Cai Haoxiang, Straits Times 4 Oct 09;
Come 2011, children celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival will be able to carry lanterns along a 3km river running through Bishan Park.
In launching Singapore's first river relocation project at the park yesterday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asked residents to care for the waterway.
The river is the first of its kind in Singapore, he said.
It is created by diverting the Kallang drainage canal through the park, and reforming it from concrete waterway to winding river.
PM Lee urged residents: 'When it rains in the estates, that bit of litter, plastic bag or cigarette butt which you just dropped will be washed into the drains, the streams, the canals, into the river and the reservoir and finally PUB will have to spend money to pick it up and clean up the water before you can drink it.'
The $76 million Bishan Park project is part of a masterplan launched in 2006 to transform Singapore's 15 reservoirs, 32 major rivers and 7,000km of waterways into beautiful spaces for recreation.
By 2011, 28 projects islandwide will be completed.
Four are ready. They are popular venues for recreational activities and community events, he told some 200 residents.
For instance, the Marina Barrage, opened in October last year, has been enjoyed by more than half a million visitors.
Soon, people will also enjoy the revamped Bishan Park which will feature a river promenade and spaces for quiet relaxation or exercise.
Planners for the revamped park are are Public Utilities Board and National Parks Board.
There will be three new playgrounds - an adventure playground for active teenagers, a sand playground for young children, and a water playground.
Wildlife enthusiasts can look out for frogs and fish or visit a dra-gonfly pond - or watch for special plants planted along the river banks, which will cleanse the flowing water.
PM Lee said he hoped youth and community groups across the island will be involved in caring for parks and waters. They can host activities to get people closer to the water to enjoy it, and spread the message of environmental protection, he suggested.
PM Lee, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, also watched Chinese song and dance performances and mingled with residents at Teck Ghee's annual Lantern Night in the park.
PM Lee launches Kallang River-Bishan Park project
Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia 3 Oct 09;
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has launched the Kallang River-Bishan Park project, part of the Active, Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Waters Programme.
The programme is a masterplan to transform Singapore's water catchment areas into community spaces for recreational activities.
The Kallang River-Bishan Park project, the first of its kind in Singapore, will integrate the existing canal with the park.
Upgrading works will be carried out, including the installation of three new playgrounds – Adventure Playground, Water Playground and Bubble Playground.
New community areas, such as a river promenade, quiet spaces in the park and a dragonfly pond, will also be created. Moreover, the park will be linked to Marina Reservoir by a park connector.
Speaking at the launch on Saturday, Mr Lee said everyone must play their part to keep the environment clean.
"We need everybody to cooperate and help keep our parks and waters clean. In fact, our estates have to be clean too because when it rains in our estates, that litter or plastic bag which you just dropped will be washed into the drains, will be washed into the streams, into the canals, the river and into the reservoir and finally, PUB will have to spend money to take it out and clean up the water before you can drink it," he cautioned.
The Kallang River-Bishan Park project is one of more than 20 under the ABC Waters Programme to be carried out by 2011. Three pilot projects at Kolam Ayer, Bedok Reservoir and MacRitchie Reservoir are already completed.
Another project, the Marina Barrage, has been well-received, attracting more than half a million visitors since its opening last year. Nine other projects are currently under construction, with eight others slated to start in 2010.
- CNA/so
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