Work starts on nature walk at Labrador and Berlayar Creek

Straits Times 27 Jul 10;

WORK began on the Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk on Tuesday, bringing one step closer towards transforming Singapore's Southern Waterfront to a new leisure playground for Singaporeans and visitors.

The new walk will be an extension of the Southern Ridges, seamlessly linking the Southern Ridges and the Southern Waterfront via a series of connections from Alexandra Road to the waterfront at Bukit Chermin.

When completed in 2012, nature lovers can look forward to a variety of experiences, including a mangrove trail with rich biodiversity and a coastal boardwalk with breathtaking waterfront views along the entire stretch of Keppel Bay.

Together with the Southern Ridges, public promenades at Vivocity and Carribean at Keppel Bay and the future public promenade at Reflections at Keppel Bay, the Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk will allow visitors to experience diverse settings comprising hills, mangroves and coastlines all in a single day.

The walk is part of the Parks and Waterbodies Plan first announced by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2002, which seeks to enhance Singapore's green spaces and waterbodies islandwide.

Said URA's Chief Executive Officer Cheong Koon Hean: 'The Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk will allow visitors to get even closer to nature and open up the coastal areas at Bukit Chermin which are currently inaccessible. The Coastal Walk will be a new gem in our leisure offerings, giving Singaporeans a rare experience with nature away from the bustle of the city.'

A multitude of experiences with nature

The 2.1km walk from Alexandra Road to the waterfront at Bukit Chermin will comprise three thematic walks:

(a) the Alexandra Road Garden Trail

(b) Berlayer Creek Mangrove Trail

(c) Bukit Chermin Harbour View Walk.

The three distinctive stretches will allow visitors a variety of experiences capitalising on the natural beauty of the lush green areas and scenic views along the way.

1) Alexandra Road Garden Trail (830m)

The trail stretches along the eastern bank of Alexandra Road between Depot Road and Telok Blangah Road, and is connected to various key attractions in the vicinity such as the Alexandra Arch, the Forest Walk, HortPark and the food and beverage clusters at Gillman Village.

In line with the Garden Trail concept, footpaths and cycle paths will meander around the matured roadside trees along Alexandra Road, and special landscaping such as flowering shrubs will be provided to add interest to the walk.

2) Berlayer Creek Mangrove Trail (960m) This 'Eco-Educational' mangrove trail starts with a lushly landscaped Entrance Plaza at the open area surrounding the future Labrador Park MRT Station. The trail will lead on to boardwalks with bird-watching and look-out rest points that allow city-dwellers the chance to experience one of the few remaining mangrove areas in the southern part of Singapore, and be in close proximity to the rich biodiversity of the creek.

3) Bukit Chermin Harbour View Walk (330m)

This elevated boardwalk on sea brings visitors along the coastal foothill of Bukit Chermin and is connected westwards to Labrador Park and eastwards to the future public promenade of the Reflections at Keppel Bay condominium. Rest points along the boardwalk will allow visitors to soak in the beautiful southern waterfront views of Keppel Harbour and Sentosa.

Work begins on southern waterfront coastal walk
Straits Times 28 Jul 10;

NATURE lovers can look forward to walking along Singapore's southern waterfront by 2012.

Construction started yesterday on the 2.1 km long Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk - which will connect Alexandra Road to the waterfront at Bukit Chermin.

The project, which costs $13.5 million, is part of a masterplan that will link the Southern Ridges - a 9km scenic route through the hills of Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park - and the Southern Waterfront via a series of connectors.

There will be three sections to the new Labrador walk: Alexandra Road Garden Trail, Berlayer Creek Mangrove Trail and Bukit Chermin Harbour View Walk.

When completed, it will take visitors through different experiences, from a mangrove trail filled with biodiversity, to a coastal boardwalk along the waterfront which stretches along Keppel Bay via both foot and cycling paths.

There will also be links to the future public promenade at Reflections at Keppel Bay and to the existing promenades at VivoCity.

The Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk is a part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Parks and Waterbodies Plan, which was first revealed in 2002.

It aims to enhance Singapore's green spaces, water bodies and living environment.

A detailed plan of the walk was later announced in mid-2008 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, at the launch of the Southern Ridges.

URA's chief executive officer, Mrs Cheong Koon Hean, said the walk will allow visitors to get even closer to nature and to visit the currently inaccessible coastal areas at Bukit Chermin.

'The coastal walk will be a new gem in our leisure offerings, giving Singaporeans a rare experience with nature away from the bustle of the city,' she said.

The route will have footpaths and cycling paths, as well as rest points for bird-watching and scenic views.

Transportation will also be easily accessible as the the future Labrador Park MRT Station, part of the Circle Line, will be located at the start of the Berlayer Creek Mangrove Trail.


More links

• What can we see at Berlayar Creek? from wild shores of singapore
  
• URA press release 27 Jul 10, with more details about the project.
  
• Nature walkway will link Alexandra to Keppel From garden to creek to harbour - all in just 2km Liaw Wy-Cin, Straits Times 15 May 08