SINGAPORE — A sheltered walkway building programme will add more than 200km of these passages around 59 MRT stations in about four years’ time.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday it had awarded the first two of four contracts worth S$156.6 million under the Walk2Ride programme.

Under these two contracts, the LTA will construct sheltered walkways around 24 MRT stations in the north-western part of Singapore and 35 MRT stations in the north-eastern part of the island.

These new walkways — four times more than the existing 46km of sheltered walkways — will provide sheltered connectivity to all developments within a 400m radius of MRT stations.

Both contracts also include the provision of signage and locality maps. The LTA and the Health Promotion Board are also collaborating to integrate health information at rest-stops located along the walkways.

Work on these walkways will start in the fourth quarter of this year and will be completed by 2018, the LTA said.

It has also called two more tenders to extend the programme to another 29 MRT stations, 38 LRT stations and one bus interchange.

Sheltered walkways are now provided from transport nodes to schools and healthcare facilities within a 200m radius. Such walkways are also provided within residential estates by the town councils.

“When the entire Walk2Ride programme is completed in 2018, commuters will enjoy a more comfortable walk to the transport nodes to get to their destinations — rain or shine,” the LTA said.