DPM Heng Swee Keat at the Launch of Phase 1 of the Round Island Route

Good morning. 

I am very happy to be here at the beautiful Changi Bay park connector today.

Round Island Route 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have grown to appreciate our green spaces even more. 

Many Singaporeans are finding new ways to enjoy the outdoors, such as taking strolls in our parks, capturing wildlife photography, or cycling along our park connectors. 

Some cyclists have curated their own creative cycling routes of a variety of shapes, including dinosaurs, Mandarin Ducks, and even the Merlion!

Even before COVID, NParks has been working hard to provide Singaporeans with greater access to nature. 

One such exciting project is the Round Island Route.  

When fully completed in 2035, the Round Island Route will be a continuous 150 kilometre loop around Singapore. 

This is 3 times the length of Singapore! 

The route will connect our parks, nature areas, and places of interest. 

Singaporeans can look forward to walking or cycling from Changi, where we are today, to East Coast, Gardens by the Bay, Jurong Lake Gardens, Sungei Buloh, and many other spots.  

The project will be completed in three phases, and this morning I am delighted to announce the completion of the first phase.

We have completed a new 75-kilometre recreational connection that stretches across Eastern Singapore, from Rower’s Bay Park at Lower Seletar Reservoir Park, to Changi Bay and East Coast Park, past the Singapore River, all the way to Berlayer Creek.

Walking or cycling along this route, you can enjoy scenic coastal boardwalks and lookout points that offer sweeping views of the sea. 

The new nodes along the route at Changi Bay Point, Sengkang Riverside Park, and Jalan Kayu will include amenities, such as shelters, toilets, and bicycle parking lots. We hope that this will provide comfort and convenience for visitors.

The Round Island Route will connect our green spaces along the circumference of Singapore. 

At the same time, we also want to ensure lush greenery along the route. 

As part of our OneMillionTrees movement, we have already planted around 5,000 trees and shrubs, including native coastal and riverine tree species, along this Eastern stretch of the route.

This morning, my colleagues and I will plant new tree saplings, here at Changi Bay park connector.

By creating ecological corridors, these trees not only provide visitors with shade, but also serve as important habitats for our native biodiversity to flourish. 

When completed, the Round Island Route will form part of the 360 kilometres of recreational routes across the island. 

This will connect communities and bring about a sense of space many times bigger than our island itself.

City in Nature

The Round Island Route is part of our broader effort to transform Singapore into a City in Nature, under the Singapore Green Plan 2030. 

As part of these efforts, we are adding more nature parks, intensifying greenery and nature in our parks and gardens, and restoring nature into our urban areas.

By 2030, every household will be within a 10-minute walk from a park. 

As we continue to transform Singapore into a City in Nature, we will need your active support and participation. 

For example, you can participate in our OneMillionTrees movement.

You can also be a part of the Friends of the Parks initiative, or join one of its communities, to promote responsible uses of our parks and park connectors through ground-up initiatives.

Conclusion

I hope that you and your friends and family will enjoy this newly-completed stretch of the Round Island Route.

Let us continue to work together to transform Singapore into a City in Nature, and create a sustainable and liveable home for generations to come.

Thank you.