Yeah. I know right?
According to Channel 8 news, the current Jurong East bus
interchange will cease operations in the third quarter of next
year. (http://www.channel8news.sg/)
1. A new temporary bus interchange will be built, by the middle
of next year.
2. The new temporary bus interchange will be located opposite
the current temporary bus interchange, between JCube and JTC
Summit. Gateway Link will be closed, to combine the two parcels of
land into one. Jurong East Street 12 will be expanded from 2-lane
to 3-lane.
3. The new temporary bus interchange will have the usual bus
interchange facilities, like canteen and staff lounge. All 18 bus
routes will relocate there.
4. A 230m bridge will be built, to connect Jurong East MRT
Station to the new temporary bus interchange.
5. The current site will be redeveloped into a mixed-used
development, comprising of an integrated transport hub, and the
headquarters of LTA and Ministry of Transport.
Anyway, thank you lemon1974 for sharing this information. It was
shocking indeed, to learn about it. If only the government had done
better, when planning for the new developments around Jurong East
MRT Station, back then in 2008 when the Jurong Lake District was
announced.
Nonetheless, the damage is done.
Although this may be a mistake, at least now we got two very
good malls - JEM and West Gate - and the scenery at level one,
which would otherwise not be possible if they had built a bus
interchange at level one.
And also, a new road, a condominium and a shopping mall called
West Gate. All these would not have been possible if the original
Jurong East Bus Interchange had remain in the way, obstructing the
developments from taking place.
So, there's a good and bad to it.
For sure there are change of plans, considering how much
ambiguity there was back then. But at least now there is a better
plan, in developing the area around Jurong East MRT Station.
Besides, the new temporary bus interchange would be in use for
around seven years (2018-2025), before the new permanent bus
interchange is ready. The current temporary bus interchange has
already been in used for six years (2011-2017), that by now it
should have already "recovered the costs".
By the time the permanent bus interchange is ready, the new
temporary bus interchange would also have recovered the costs.
Therefore, I think it should be okay to build a new temporary
bus interchange to replace the current temporary bus interchange,
to make way for a new permanent bus interchange.
18 services... That is if you consider 97 and 97e as one, 98 and
98M as one and 143 and 143M as one.
Anyways, this is quite telling that the PCS service and CW3/4
which is currently at the int will be moved out. I am predicting
that the former would be moved to a bus stop elsewhere in the JE
MRT vincity, while the cross borders may face the same fate, or may
be relocated to the new Tuas ter. Got a feeling that any changes to
that will have to wait till the opening of the new ter...
