Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 to get bus-only lane and fewer lanes from 14 November as LTA tackles Cross Island Line tunnel obstructions

Motorists and fleet operators using Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 will face a reconfigured road from 14 November 2026, after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on 16 October that it needs extra working space to deal with unexpected underground obstructions on the Cross Island Line (CRL). The temporary arrangement is set to last until May 2028.

According to LTA, the east-bound carriageway between the AMK Hub pick-up and drop-off point and the junction with Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 will be converted into a bus-only lane. The west-bound carriageway will be reduced from three lanes to two. Entry and exit arrangements for the AMK Hub pick-up and drop-off point will change, and an existing pedestrian crossing will be relocated.

Access to the AMK Hub basement car park, its pick-up and drop-off point, and the HDB car park serving Blocks 322 and 343 will remain available. LTA said motorists should expect longer queues entering AMK Hub during peak periods, adding roughly 10 to 15 minutes of travel time, and it has published alternative routes for drivers. Variable message signs, On-Board Unit (OBU) notifications, advance directional signs and traffic wardens will be deployed, and LTA said it may make further adjustments after monitoring traffic conditions.

The changes stem from problems during tunnelling for Ang Mo Kio station on the CRL. LTA said it first detected signs of obstructions under Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 in May 2026, when foreign materials were discharged from the tunnel boring machine and wire ropes were found tangled around its cutterhead. Between May and July, 100 cutterhead interventions were needed and 22 damaged cutters were replaced, with about 800kg of wire ropes extracted.

Investigations identified the obstructions as ground anchors, which are steel structures drilled into the ground as temporary support for retaining walls. LTA has suspended tunnelling and said investigations are continuing into the full extent and origin of the obstruction and its impact on the CRL construction timeline. Recovery measures will include ground improvement works to stabilise the ground before tunnelling resumes.

For bus commuters, LTA said there will be no impact on access to bus stops along the avenue. Ground-level access to the overhead bridge across Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 will close, with alternative access through level 2 of AMK Hub during mall operating hours.

For delivery, logistics and private-hire drivers who regularly serve AMK Hub or cut through Ang Mo Kio town, the lane reductions mean planning for slower peak-hour trips over the next year and a half. Operators may wish to brief drivers on the alternative routes before 14 November. LTA has not said whether the works will affect the CRL’s opening date, and SGFleetGuide will report further updates when they are announced.

Source: Land Transport Authority — Read the original