An expressway tunnel

This is an interesting transport feature along the Pan-Island Expressway, east of the Thomson Flyover - an expressway tunnel acting as a sound barrier, just in front of Block 173 Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.

Credit: Google Maps.

Both the block and this stretch of expressway were completed around the same time, in 1972, making them almost half a century old.

The sound barrier was constructed in the early days when 1) HDB blocks and expressways were sited very close to each other; 2) expressways ran above ground, before the land crunch was felt more acutely approaching the 21st century.

On a bus passing through the tunnel:

Since the beginning of the 21st century, expressways have moved underground. Examples include the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway, Marina Coastal Expressway, and the North South Corridor, to open in 2026.

I can’t think of another similar feature in Singapore. Let me know if you know of one!

Singapore’s last freshwater swamp forest

It is the Nee Soon Swamp Forest, which was mentioned in this article about Singapore’s very own firefly:

Researchers here have identified a new species of luminous firefly, the first such discovery made in Singapore since 1909.

Credit: Wan F. A. Jusoh.

The Singapore firefly (Luciola singapura), which is less than 5mm long, was discovered in the Nee Soon Swamp Forest, the last remaining freshwater swamp forest in Singapore.

Where exactly is the Nee Soon Swamp Forest?

It is in the Central Catchment Area, bounded by Upper Seletar Reservoir to the north, Upper Peirce Reservoir to the south, and the Seletar Expressway and Old Upper Thomson Road to the east.

Credit: Dadiyorto Wendi.

The 1923 map below shows the same area at the time.

Credit: National Archives of Singapore.

The swamp forest was bounded by Mandai Road (later realigned because of Upper Seletar Reservoir) to the north, Kalang Reservoir (now Upper and Lower Peirce reservoirs) to the south, and Seletar Road (now Old Upper Thomson Road) to the east. The nearest large settlement was Seletar Village, later Nee Soon Village.

The river in the swamp forest was a tributary of the Sungei Seletar. Perhaps the forest should have been called Seletar Swamp Forest instead.

Instead, the forest probably got its name from the historic Nee Soon area, which was made up of Nee Soon Village (expunged) and Nee Soon Road (still around). However, the Nee Soon area lies outside the forest. The same area in 1954:

Curious toponymics aside, it’s great that the forest lies inside the Central Catchment Area - it should not be threatened in the near future. Long live the forest!

Credit: Wong Tuan Wah.

Seng Chew Quarry

I visited Seng Chew Quarry, a disused granite quarry which once supplied the hardy material for the construction of buildings and roads in Singapore.

Seng Chew Quarry was one of several quarries which scarred the line of hills presently running down the right side of the southern part of Choa Chu Kang town and the northern part of Bukit Batok town. The hills included Bukit Panjang, Bukit Gombak I, Bukit Gombak II, and Bukit Batok, ranging from 294 to 434 feet in height (Bukit Timah Hill’s taller than all of them at 537 feet). The quarries included Ideal Home, Lian Hup, Seng Chew, Gammon, and Poh Kim. Whatever’s left of Ideal Home and Lian Hup now lie inside Bukit Gombak Camp, Gammon’s lake is Little Guilin, and the remains of Poh Kim is a lake inside Bukit Batok Nature Park.

The 1961 map below shows the hills in blue and the quarries in yellow:

Base picture credit: National Archives of Singapore.

Seng Chew Quarry lies on the slopes of Bukit Gombak I, as seen in the Google Maps image below. Most of the hill is off limits, no thanks to Bukit Gombak Camp.

Base picture credit: Google Maps.

Access to Seng Chew Quarry was surprisingly easy, and the route hasn’t been fully manicured by the authorities yet, although I’m not sure for how long more this will be the case.

I took the train to Bukit Gombak MRT Station on the North South Line, took Exit D, and walked past the Bukit Gombak Sports Hall to Block 383 Bukit Batok West Avenue 5.

Next to the block was rising terrain, which I guess had been neatly sculpted and planted over with grass. A storm drain had also been installed to aid in drainage.

I climbed up the hill to where the grass ended and the forest began (Location A below). (The path I took during my exploration is marked in light blue.)

Base picture credit: Google Maps.

The slopes of Bukit Gombak I as I climbed the hill.

Where the grass ended and the forest began, there was the sound of a flowing stream - it was water draining out of the quarry lake.

I read online that the water had magical properties. No, I did not drink it; I did wash my hands with it, but nothing has happened to them yet.

I followed the stream and ventured into the undergrowth. There was forest on both sides but the stream made it easy to head in.

Further in, there was a fallen tree lying across the path, but it was easily scaled.

It took me fewer than two minutes to reach the quarry lake.

There was an opening on the left side of the fence, which allowed me to go right up to the edge of the lake.

All was quiet and peaceful. Only the low calls of birds and insects broke the silence.

The lake was very still. I wondered how deep it was. I’m sure people have drowned in it.

Near Location A, starting at Location B, there was a path running uphill through thick undergrowth. This was the view from Location B.

The uphill path ended at a clearing at the top of a rocky outcrop which gave an excellent view of the quarry and its lake.

From this vantage point, the size of the quarry was clear to me.

Here’s proof that I was there!

If I was a resident of the nearby flats, I’d come here every week to commune with nature! I hope the authorities leave this place as it is.