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Tengah Air Base expansion could end ‘road runway’ drills in Lim Chu Kang

SINGAPORE — The realignment of Lim Chu Kang Road for the expansion of Tengah Air Base could likely mean that it is no longer used as an alternate runway, a defence expert said.

Lim Chu Kang Road was converted into a runway last year for Exercise Torrent — the RSAF’s alternate runway exercise. Road realignment could mean such drills will be held elsewhere on the island in future. TODAY file photo

Lim Chu Kang Road was converted into a runway last year for Exercise Torrent — the RSAF’s alternate runway exercise. Road realignment could mean such drills will be held elsewhere on the island in future. TODAY file photo

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SINGAPORE — The realignment of Lim Chu Kang Road for the expansion of Tengah Air Base could likely mean that it is no longer used as an alternate runway, a defence expert said.

It could also add to parking woes during the annual Qing Ming “tomb-sweeping” festival, according to the cemetery caretakers and visitors.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has been practising launch and recovery operations on the alternate runway since April 1986.

The latest — Exercise Torrent — took place last November after an eight-year hiatus.

On Tuesday, the Defence Ministry (Mindef) said that a new runway will be built at the expanded air base to meet the RSAF’s operational needs.

Asked if there would be any changes to the existing alternate runway at Lim Chu Kang Road, Mindef would only say yesterday that it “constantly evaluates” training and exercise requirements and when necessary, adjustments would be made.

Nevertheless, Mr David Boey, a member of the Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence, noted the importance of having public roads that can be converted into alternate runways.

“Having more runways would frustrate attempts at crippling our air force as there would be a larger number of runways to deal with,” he said.

Mr Leon Hay, 38, business director of local goat farm Hay Dairies, said that he was “surprised” Lim Chu Kang Road could be altered, given that it is sometimes used as a makeshift runway as part of RSAF exercises.

If the authorities are looking to replicate the exercises elsewhere, there is a stretch along the East Coast Parkway next to Bedok Camp that could be “reconfigured as an alternate runway within 24 hours should the need arise”, Mr Boey suggested.

However, the locations of new alternate runways in the future will be “constrained by increasing urbanisation”, he said, because clear flight paths to and from the road are necessary for such exercises. “Some roads in Tuas used to be suitable as alternate runways before the area was built up,” he pointed out.

The air force’s drone squadrons are based at Murai Camp, which is in the vicinity and has a runway on its premises, Mr Boey said. The camp may also have to make way as part of the expansion of Tengah Air Base, although Mindef has said the actual boundaries of the expanded air base are still being worked out.

If Lim Chu Kang Road is realigned, cemetery caretaker Huang Ya Jiu, who is in his 70s, believes that it could cause inconvenience to visitors.

Many cars are parked along the six-lane road during the annual Qing Ming festival when people visit and tidy up the tombs of their relatives or ancestors.

Mr Huang said that the traffic congestion is “especially serious” around the columbarium “where the car park is smaller”.

Some 80,500 graves at the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery in the area will have to make way as part of the development plans.

The congestion situation could worsen when the cremated remains from the exhumed graves are transferred there.

Mr Hong Qing Fu, 63, who was visiting his father’s grave when approached by TODAY, said that parking is a challenge during the Qing Ming period.

He and his family were therefore there in the pre-dawn hours to “avoid the Qing Ming crowd”, he said.

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