SINGAPORE — The first day of temporary closure at Changi Airport Terminal 1’s (T1) open-air car park went relatively smoothly yesterday, except for some minor confusion about changes that have been made.

The airport is conducting a four-day dry-run of the car park’s temporary closure until 2am next Tuesday to prepare for expansion works that are to commence by year-end. T1’s arrival pick-up point has been shifted to its Arrival Hall, while the departure drop-off point remains unchanged.

Orange road signs and lane markings have been put up to direct motorists from T1 to the relocated car park at Terminal 2’s (T2) Carpark 2B, which has been renamed T1 Carpark. Those heading for T1 would then have to take a skytrain or a shuttle bus there from T2. These run every five minutes. Around 20 traffic marshals and service staff have been deployed to guide lost motorists and passengers to the relocated car park and pick-up point.

Mr Lionel Lim, 31, had planned to drop his girlfriend off at T1, but said he did not realise that the car park had been temporarily closed.

“I spent an extra 10 to 15 minutes finding the relocated car park. It was quite inconvenient and I also didn’t know there was a shuttle bus until I saw the waiting point outside T2,” he added.

Another driver, Ms Patricia, who had to catch a flight at T1, was a little puzzled over the renamed car park.

“When we entered the car park, we were confused about why we were in T2. A marshal then told us it was for T1 users as well. If that guy (the marshal) wasn’t there, we might have been lost. I think extra signs should be put up to confirm that drivers are in the right car park,” she said.