Serangoon River

 

Serangoon River

Serangoon River

Most of the time we walked the banks of the Serangoon River, they were along the west bank on the park connector. The few times we walked the east we could not do the whole stretch due to construction of various roads. For this walk we wanted to check whether the whole bank from Tampines Road to Lorong Halus was passable.

The walking group met at Gourmet Delights at Oasis Terraces to begin our walk along the Punggol Waterway to the Lorong Halus Wetland. After crossing the pedestrian bridge we turned right to begin the walk along the east bank. Before we could take more than a few steps a worker came out telling us we could not proceed further because of construction work. We had no choice but to turn back across the bridge to walk the west bank.

Bridge across Pasir Ris Industrial Drive 1

So we moved along the Serangoon Park Connector until the newly completed bridge extension from Punggol Central. We noticed a flight of stairs at the other end of the bridge so we decided to cross this bridge to access the east bank again. After crossing the bridge we went under the bridge to continue our trek along the river bank with the river on our right and the former dumping ground on our left behind a fence. The day was hot and there were minimal shade.

At the Tampines Expressway was a construction site. They were constructing more access roads to the Tampines Expressway. We managed to walk through the construction site but the supervisor advised us not to come by the same way again as he showed us the way to the exit to continue our walk toward Tampines Road. We were happy we did not have to turn back.

Looking back at Tampines Expressway

At Buangkok East Drive a couple came down the slope beside the bridge to enjoy some private time. After this the rest of the walk was uneventful except for the heat.
The river split into two branches and we had to follow the river to the left. We came to a newly completed 8-lane highway that seemed to lead to nowhere and there was no traffic. Had we studied the map we could follow this road direct to Tampines Road. Instead we crossed the highway, followed the canal and climbed over a fence to get to Tampines Road. Here we turned right to our destination at Kovan Mall where we ended our walk.

Road that led to nowhere

So what did we learn during this walk? The trail from Lorong Halus Wetland should be passable as construction at the other end where we crossed over is nearing the end. We noticed that all work were completed and the workers were just tidying up. The bridge is already in use and according to onemap.sg is called Pasir Ris Industrial Drive 1. This is accessible from Pasir Ris Farmway 3 and Lorong Halus.

Except for construction at Tampines Expressway, the whole stretch of the trail along the east bank of Serangoon River should be passable. The whole trail has been hardened with reused construction materials so we do not have to experience muddy puddles anymore. The only issue is the trail is exposed to the hot sun.

Our Route

Map data ©2019 Google, Urban Redevelopment Authority

Buangkok to Tampines via Tampines Road

This route took us from Buangkok MRT Station, along the northern part of Punggol Park to Buangkok East Drive to Tampines Road to Tampines MRT Station via the Tampines Bike Trail.

Approaching the top of the hill at the Tampines Bike Park

Buangkok East Drive
After an early lunch at the Kopitiam food court, we walked south along Sengkang Central toward the canal then turned east in the direction of Punggol Park. We followed the trails in the northern part of the park, then moved along the Buangkok Park Connector toward Buangkok Drive East. To do so we had to access Upper Serangoon Road first then walk along Buangkok East Drive. If we stayed on the park connector we would end up walking along the Serangoon Park Connector leading to Tampines Road.

Map Board of the Tampines Bike Trail

Tampines Road
We made a mistake when we stayed on the right side of Buangkok East Drive as it would have led us to the Kallang Paya Lebar Expressway heading toward the city. We discovered this early and backtracked to cross Buangkok East Drive at a safe position. Walking along Buangkok East Drive on the left pedestrian walkway would lead us eventually to Tampines Road. As we walked toward Tampines Road, we could see and hear the F-15s and C-130s taking off from the Paya Lebar Air Base.

Lake formed by rain water

At Tampines Road we skirted around the northern periphery of the Paya Lebar Air Base. We kept on walking and soon passed the two huge water towers on the left side of the road. And soon we arrived at the place with 11 Chinese temples. This was where we had a break at the Goodlife Restaurant that also served bak ku teh. I then discovered that all the pictures taken so far were no good caused by oil mist accumulated on the lens during a cooking demonstration. After a temporary clean job I managed to capture our moments for the remainder of the walk.

Shelter at the Tampines Bike Park

Tampines Bike Trail
After the break we moved on to Tampines Ave 10 where Ikea, Giant and Courts were located. We crossed over to Tampines Link that would lead us to the Tampines Expressway. We were looking for the Utilities Building beside the expressway and to locate an access to the Tampines Bike Trail. This we did and we happily explored the bike park.

We reached the highest point of the park and were rewarded with a splendid view of the surrounding area. This park is used by mountain bikers to practise and hone their riding skills. It is generally exposed so there is danger during thunder storms so we had to watch out for the weather whenever we visit this area. When the weather is hot, it can be quite exhausting as well.

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Route

Map data ©2018 Google