Singapore To Build Extension Of Woodlands Checkpoint At Old Woodlands Town Centre

By Massita Ahmad SINGAPORE, March 31 (Bernama) -- An extension of the Woodlands Checkpoint (WCP) will be built at the Old Woodlands Town Centre (OWTC), as part of Singapore's efforts to upgrade the WCP. The Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) regularly reviews its checkpoint processes and infrastructure. Since the opening of WCP in 1999, traveller and vehicle volumes have been increasing through WCP over the years while the security threat has heightened significantly, said ICA and Singapore Land Authority (SLA) in a joint statement issued here Thursday. The WCP has to be upgraded to meet growing traffic needs and ensure that immigration clearance remains secure, said the Authorities. The statement said the ICA was conducting a feasibility study to determine the optimal design of the WCP extension and the full extent of upgrading and redevelopment works required. The OWTC site will enable upgrading works to be progressively carried out at the existing WCP without compromising checkpoint operations. "It will eventually become an extension of WCP to increase overall clearance capacity and to enhance security," said ICA and SLA. Two lots of private land within the OWTC, located immediately east of the current WCP, will need to be acquired to build the extension of WCP. SLA has gazetted the acquisition of the affected land on Thursday, said the statement adding that SLA would work closely with the affected owners and tenants, and assist them throughout the acquisition process. The OWTC is just about 6km away from the Johor Bahru Customs Immigration And Quarantine Complex, the large complex at the causeway to Singapore which accommodates Malaysian customs check for cars, trucks, buses and the Johor Bahru Sentral train station. --BERNAMA