Originally planned as the North-South Expressway (NSE), the project is reconceptualised as the North-South Corridor (NSC) to promote the Walk-Cycle-Ride (WCR) experience, and now comprises the NSC Expressway (Tunnel and Viaduct), as well as NSC surface street.

Source: LTA

The purpose is to relieve traffic between the north and south of Singapore while supporting new developments along the corridor. The NSC will be running from Woodlands to Rochor, spanning over 21.5km.

Source: LTA

The NSC will be completed in phases with the viaduct estimated to complete in 2027 while the tunnel is estimated to be completed in 2029.

What is the significance of NSC?

Currently, the fastest way to travel from Woodlands to Rochor is through the Seletar Expressway (SLE) and Central Expressway (CTE). Even without traffic, the journey can take up to 40 mins.

If we take into account the traffic during peak hours in the morning, it is even worse, taking up to 1 hour 20 mins just to travel to the city area.

Source: LTA, Google Maps

With the completion of NSC, the travelling time could reduce significantly, potentially reducing travelling time for motorists between the North and City Centre to around 15-20 mins during non-peak hours.

Moreover, by offering NSC as an alternative to CTE and SLE for those living in the north, we can reduce traffic congestion on these expressways, extending the benefits to its commuters.

As mentioned above, the expressway would be running underground as well as above ground. This frees up the surface street for further developments.

Thus, the accessibility and benefits of NSC reaches beyond just the motorists, but also for those living and working along NSC.

With the dedicated bus-only lanes, LTA said previously that bus travelling times from Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun and Ang Mo Kio to the city could be cut by up to 30 mins!

Furthermore, NSC features a 34 km Central Corridor by NParks as a recreational route, connecting seamlessly with the Round Island Route, Coast-to-Coast Trail, and several parks and park connectors.

Cyclists and pedestrians would be able to benefit from the increased amenities as well connectivity of this Central Corridor.

How does increased accessibility add value to nearby properties?

Usually, projects that are closer to transport nodes such as MRT stations experience higher growth than projects that are not. Here are two examples.

1. Punggol

Source: URA, Edgeprop Market Trends

These projects all have similar tenures and are considered large projects with over 400 units. One of their main differences being their proximity to Punggol MRT.

If we take a look at the 10 year average property price growth rate of A Treasure Trove and Parc Centros, which is in close proximity to the MRT, it is significantly higher than River Isle, which is much further away from the MRT.

Closer to the MRT means lesser travelling time as the residents do not have to take another bus or walk long distances back to their home.

Thus, the reduced travelling time and increased accessibility adds value to the projects, leading to increased demand for the projects and could be the reason it has more capital appreciation.

2. Potong Pasir

Source: URA, Edgeprop Market Trends

We see a similar trend over here as Sennett Residence and Sant Ritz which is in close proximity to Potong Pasir MRT experienced almost double in growth compared to 8@Woodleigh even though all of them have similar tenure and project size.

The interesting case of Canberra

The Sembawang area, or to be specific, Canberra, in the past has always been considered too far from anywhere in Singapore, or what we call “ulu” (a Malay term referring to a remote place).

That is until 2019 when the new Canberra MRT Station was opened and operational along the North-South Line. With this new MRT station, it connects a direct line from Canberra to the city, thus making the Canberra area more accessible.

Recently, there has been news coming out that Sembawang is no longer “ulu” as property prices in that area, specifically HDB resale prices, has the highest growth from 2019 to 2023, reaching a 63% growth for 4-room HDB resale flats.

The growth was attributed to the opening of the new Canberra MRT station as well as new amenities in the area, such as Canberra Plaza, improving connectivity and injecting life into the area.

However, the potential of Canberra does not stop here. One of the entrances and exits of NSC is located right next to the Canberra area.

Source: LTA

With this upcoming new connectivity, how would this affect the value of nearby projects such as those shown below?

Source: URA, Edgeprop Market Trends

In fact, Executive Condominiums are usually located in areas far away from transport nodes, or areas with lesser convenience.

However, the newly built Canberra MRT has sheltered walkways to The Visionaire and The Brownstone, which is a rare occurrence.

Furthermore, these projects recently reached their Minimum Occupation Period (MOP), which means there is still potential growth in the future.

Thus, would these projects have even higher growth potential in the future once NSC is completed?

Final Thoughts

If you have driven along CTE before, you would know about the horrible traffic congestion that always occurs, sometimes even during non-peak periods. Below is a video I took of CTE at 4pm.

Source: Ernest Goh

Thus, I personally feel NSC is going to be a game changer, not just for those living in the North but for the entire Singapore.

NSC not only benefits motorists but also those who are taking public transport, cyclists and even just people who are just looking for a new park connector for a morning jog.

I have always heard debates between people living in the east side and west side of Singapore, talking about how their area is the best. The north side of Singapore seemed to be a forgotten area, or assumed to be the worst.

But maybe, the time for the north side to shine is finally here.