It's finally open!!
Visitors to Changi Point can now enjoy an uninterrupted stroll or jog along the entire length of the rustic Changi Point coastline while enjoying scenic views out to the sea.
The completion of the 2.6 km Changi Point Coastal Walk stretching from Changi Beach Club at the western end to ChangiVillage at the eastern end, is the culmination of a series of infrastructure improvement works which the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had embarked on since 1999. These infrastructure improvement works are carried out to enhance Changi Point and make it a more attractive and charming seaside resort and recreational destination while retaining its distinct relaxed, village-like atmosphere.
Providing access to the coast
The Coastal Walk has opened up the beautiful but previously inaccessible coastal areas of Changi Point for the enjoyment of all visitors. It is made up of the 1.2 km western boardwalk stretching from Changi Beach Club to Changi Sailing Club which was opened to the public in September 2003, and a newly completed 1.4 km eastern coastal walkway which joins the western boardwalk at Changi Sailing Club and extends it all the way to ChangiVillage.
While the western boardwalk winds through lush greenery and undulating terrain, the eastern coastal walkway meanders along the coastal front providing a tropical experience of sea and sand. Viewing decks and pavilions along the way allow visitors to pause, soak in the sea breeze and enjoy the excellent views out to sea.
The entire coastal walk is divided into six zones, each offering its own unique experience:
- The Sunset Walk allows visitors to enjoy splendid views of the sunset at the western end of ChangiPont, against a backdrop of huge boulders;
- The Kelong Walk, a stretch of boardwalk set on stilts over the water, brings back memories of the good old kelong days;
- The Cliff Walk, located just below the hilltop chalets, allows visitors to enjoy a walk through lush greenery;
- The Sailing Point Walk, located near the Changi Sailing Club, allows visitors to watch the sail boats and enjoy open views of the sea;
- The Beach Walk allows visitors to feel the sea breeze and cool splashes of the waves, and walk along the sandy beaches;
- The Creek Walk, which is located near ChangiVillage and connects to the roof garden of the Changi Point Ferry Terminal, provides a sense of the live and buzz of ChangiVillage with bumboats ferrying passengers to and from the offshore islands.
Adjoining the Creek Walk and located between the Changi Point Ferry Terminal and Changi Village is a newly completed waterfront park where old sheds once stood. Well-integrated and connected to the car parks, the hawker centre, the ferry terminal and the coastal walk, the park, with its lush landscaping, shady pedestrian walkways and open spaces for activities, is set to become a new focal point for the Changi Village area.
Increasing connectivity
As part of the infrastructure enhancement works aimed at improving pedestrian connectivity within Changi Point, URA had, in May 2005, completed the construction of a 1.5 km park connector that runs along Netheravon Road from Cranwell Road to ChangiVillage. This park connector will form a complete pedestrian loop together with the Changi Point Coastal Walk. It will also form part of a larger network of park connectors that will eventually link Changi Point with PasirRisPark and ChangiBeachPark.
The Netheravon Road Park Connector provides visitors with a safer and more comfortable environment for walking or cycling to experience the beauty of Changi Point as some areas did not have proper walkways previously. It features rest stops where visitors can pause to admire heritage trees and historically significant buildings along the way. It also incorporates a park with fitness corners and a foot reflexology path set among mature trees at Turnhouse Road so that users can exercise amidst a lush green environment.
Improving public facilities
The infrastructure enhancements for Changi Point also included a new ferry terminal to replace the old run-down jetties which visitors used for taking a bumboat to PulauUbin or Pengerang, a fishing town in Johor. The new ferry terminal started operations in January 2005 providing a one-stop transportation node with better facilities, proper embarkation and disembarkation points and a roof-top garden with viewing decks and pavilions to provide passengers with a safer and more comfortable environment.
Other infrastructure improvements that have been completed at Changi Point include the upgrading of the car parks at ChangiVillage and provision of additional car park lots at Turnhouse Road, as well as the upgrading of the underground sewer network.
Bringing new uses to Changi Point
With its lure of lush greenery, breezy corners, gentle seas and colonial heritage, Changi Point is well-known for its idyllic setting and laid-back charm. Now that the various infrastructure enhancements to Changi Point have been completed, URA is looking to further enhance the attractiveness of the area as a recreational destination for all Singaporeans through the introduction of new compatible uses within Changi Point.
There is a sale site at Fairy Point Hill which is on the URA Reserve List. With lush greenery on a hilltop, the 4.2 ha site includes a grand two-storey Neo-Classical building built in 1935 as the Royal Engineers’ Headquarters. The site can be developed for hotel, recreational club and / or holiday chalet use, with a 30-year tenure.
There are also other potential opportunities for further development within Changi Point, and URA is open to exploring ideas with stakeholders and interested investors to realise the vision of Changi Point as a coastal recreation village.
It is working with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to put some of the vacant state properties to suitable interim uses. Uses that would fit in with the character of the area include spa and wellness centres, recreational clubs, sports or arts centres, budget accommodation, chalets, restaurants, cafes and small shops.
SLA has called a tender for the former ChangiHospital and will be announcing the award of the tender by November 2006. The successful tenderer will restore two of the blocks to their former glory. In addition, two state properties, a wooden kampong style structure raised on masonry footings next to the Changi Point Ferry Terminal at LorongBekukong and a single-storey Art-Deco style house built in 1934 next to the park at 23 Turnhouse Road, will be made available for suitable interim uses in 2007.
New Changi Point Walking Guide Now Available
To enable visitors to better appreciate the charms of this quaint and rustic corner of Singapore, URA has updated the old Changi Point guide map into a new 28-page guide of Changi Point, packed with interesting facts on the natural, architectural and colonial military heritage of the area. The Changi Point guide is available on URA Online at www.ura.gov.sg and from the Singapore City Galley at The URA Centre.
information from URA website
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