{"id":62135,"date":"2022-11-29T18:18:19","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T10:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/?p=62135"},"modified":"2022-11-29T18:53:37","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T10:53:37","slug":"revisiting-maplewoods-condo-king-albert-park-mrt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.99.co\/singapore\/insider\/revisiting-maplewoods-condo-king-albert-park-mrt\/","title":{"rendered":"Revisiting the Maplewoods condo issue when King Albert Park MRT was first built"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We recently published insights<\/a> about King Albert Park MRT becoming an interchange station when the Cross Island Line Phase 2 is complete by 2032.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We also shared several new launch properties<\/a> near the station since it’s close to the Rail Corridor.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

With the upcoming underground construction, the freehold condo Casa Esperanza<\/a> at Bukit Timah will be affected, including 18 car park spaces, which need to be relocated.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"King<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

However, this isn’t the first time an MRT-related construction at the King Albert Park MRT site has affected local residents.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In June 2011, when construction plans were shared to build the Downtown Line Stage 2 station, several residents at Maplewoods condo were extremely upset.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How upset? Very.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What made the Maplewoods condo residents so upset?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Maplewoods condo<\/a> is a freehold project which was completed in 1997. It is about 169 metres away (roughly a 3-minute walk) from King Albert Park MRT station.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

After news broke of the Downtown Line Stage 2 station plans in 2011, 65% of the 697 Maplewoods residents signed a petition to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong calling for the relocation of the King Albert Park station’s launch shaft.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What on earth is a launch shaft?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A launch shaft is a 25-metre-wide square hole to facilitate the drilling of two underground tunnels between two MRT stations. Unfortunately for the Maplewoods condo residents at the time, the shaft was sited in front of the condo’s sole entrance and exit – which link to Bukit Timah Road.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n