Average Cost and Construction Duration of Building Sheltered Walkways and LTA's Criteria in Deciding Their Feasibility

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the average cost per metre and average construction duration of building sheltered walkways; and (b) what are the criteria that LTA uses in deciding on the feasibility of constructing sheltered walkways.

The construction cost of covered linkways ranges from $200,000 to $300,000 per 100 metres. High covered linkways that enable heavy vehicles to pass under, cost around $600,000 per 100 metres.

It typically takes around nine months to complete construction of a typical covered linkway of around 400 metres long. This can of course vary depending on site conditions.

Covered linkways provide convenience and are very welcomed by residents. That is why LTA has built hundreds of kilometers of linkways over the years. But to ensure prudent use of public funds, we should build them when they connect large numbers of commuters to major public destinations, and in the context of LTA, these will be transport nodes like MRT/LRT stations and bus interchanges. In evaluating proposals, LTA takes into account usage patterns, site constraints and safety requirements.