Punggol's new feature is set to inject excitement into the area while retaining a touch of its past
tay suan chiang Straits Times Life 22 Oct 11;
Putting the 'go' into Punggol, Singapore's longest man-made waterway - complete with boardwalks - officially opens tomorrow but excited residents are already hitting the planks.
The $225-million feature, called My Waterway@Punggol, was constructed by damming two rivers at the east and west of Punggol, the Sungei Serangoon and Sungei Punggol, to form two reservoirs to meet Singapore's increasing water needs.
Taking 2-1/2 years to construct, the waterway has pedestrian and cycling paths on both banks, four footbridges, viewing platforms, exercise and water- play areas and plenty of lush landscaping.
When Life! visited the waterway on Wednesday and Thursday, residents were already out, cycling and strolling.
They included housewife Yeo Lay Lay, 46, who was walking her dog on the 4.2km-long waterway when Life! met her on Thursday. 'I read about it in the newspapers and it looks ready, so I decided to check it out. There are not many people yet and it is really beautiful here.'
Surrounded by greenery and water, it is easy to imagine that you are in a rural area, rather than a township of nearly 23,000 families. The nearby HDB flats can be seen from along the waterway, but mostly there are large fields of grass and trees on both sides. These plots of land are for future residential development.
Plans to turn Punggol into a waterfront town were first outlined in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's 2007 National Day Rally speech.
In May 2008, a landscape masterplan competition for the waterway was announced. Local firm Surbana International Consultants was named the winner in December that year.
The waterway is not just beautiful, but it is eco-friendly, too. For example, about 3.3 million cubic metres of earth had to be removed from the site during construction. This was reused to fill low-lying areas around the waterway in preparation for future housing development sites.
Past preserved
Visitors will notice a shallow drain made of gravel on both banks. Called an eco-drain, it collects surface run-off and this is filtered through gravel before going into the 3m- to 4m-deep waterway. 'The eco-drain works as a natural filtration system and helps to cleanse the water,' says Mr Alan Tan, principal architect and deputy managing director at the HDB, which is in charge of the project.
At the waterway's eastern end is an area of mangroves. The remarkable thing about this is that mangroves usually grow in saltwater but the HDB has managed to grow 20 species in freshwater.
They enhance the water quality by taking in nitrates and phosphates, which decrease algae growth in the water. 'They also help to promote biodiversity. Birds, monitor lizards and mudskippers have already been spotted,' says Mr Tan.
As the waterway merges with Punggol and Serangoon reservoirs, the water has to remain clean. To help with this task, there are 15 types of water plants on the waterway's slopes to cleanse water run-off before it enters the waterway.
Aerators and jet fountains in the waterway help to circulate water and prevent algae growth. These dissolve oxygen in the water, helping to sustain aquatic life.
The area's history is also not forgotten. A 160m stretch of Old Punggol Road has been conserved as well as an old bus stop. Display panels on Punggol's history as a farming village, its flora and fauna that used to be seen here are also nearby.
Surbana's vice-president of landscape architecture Phang Hsueh Terng, who has been working on the project since Day One, says: 'The waterway will inject the area with recreation activities, while preserving its old charm and heritage.'
Punggol resident and student Michelle Tan, 18, plans to visit the waterway soon. 'It will add a cool factor to the neighbourhood and I no longer have to travel to East Coast Park to kayak.'
GETTING THERE
* From Punggol
MRT Station, the Heartwave Wall, a scenic spot along the waterway, is a five- minute walk away.
You can also take the LRT from Punggol MRT station to Damai LRT Station. Walk towards Punggol Road and you will find a walking path to the waterway.
* There are two carparks near the waterway. One is along Punggol Walk and the other, along Sentul Crescent.
The waterway is a minute's walk from both carparks.
