The Causeway opened in 1924. That’s a good 100 years to date! So what happened when over the years the Causeway has become increasingly congested due to heavier usage and traffic?
One of the efforts to alleviate congestion was through the widening of the Causeway in 1976. Despite this, the rush hour traffic was still slow. Then, in early 1980, there was the idea to have a second crossing connecting Singapore and Malaysia.1 This only bore fruit in 1994 when both countries signed the official agreement to build this alternative route for vehicles.2
The Malaysia-Singapore Second Link, also known as the Tuas Second Link, opened to traffic on 2 January 1998.3 As the name suggests, the Second Link crossing is located in Tuas, in the western part of Singapore, and it connects to Tanjung Kupang in Gelang Patah, southwest Johor.4
The Second Link has definitely helped to alleviate congestion on the Causeway during peak hours, and facilitate smoother movement of goods and people between Singapore and Malaysia. It has contributed to enhanced connectivity and trade between the two countries, benefiting businesses and commuters on both sides of the border.
Overall, the Second Link serves as an important transportation link, offering an alternative route to the Causeway for cross-border travel and trade.
Despite the Causeway and the Second Link both being land routes to Malaysia, there is a distinct structural difference between the two. While the Second Link is a bridge, the Causeway is not!5 The Causeway is in fact a raised road that allows goods and people across the straits.
If you live in Singapore and travel to Johor by land transportation, chances are you would have been a user of the Causeway at some point in time. We hope that you’ve enjoyed the snippets of its history, and the next time you’re travelling on it, do take a moment to appreciate the century-old landmark that had a ringside view to significant milestones in Singapore’s history. Today, with 300,000 travellers using the Causeway daily, it still fulfils the purpose that it was built for: to transport goods and people across the Straits of Johor.
Click to return to the main Causeway Centenary page and references.
Photographs
Media - Image No: 19990002790 - 0031
Source: Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
The Malaysia-Singapore Second Link at Tuas was officially opened in 1998 by Prime Minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong and Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Covering Date: 18/04/1998
Media - Image No: 19990002789 - 0091
Source: Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore
Prime Minister of Singapore Goh Chok Tong and Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the official opening of Malaysia-Singapore Second Link at Tuas.
Covering Date: 18/04/1998