Market Insight | North-South Corridor | October 2026
LTA has pushed the North-South Corridor back by about two years. If a faster commute is part of why you are buying in Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan or Thomson, the new dates change your sums.
Direct answer
The North-South Corridor is a 21.5km expressway from Admiralty Road West to the ECP, with an 8.8km viaduct to Lentor Avenue and a 12.3km tunnel from Lentor to the city. LTA now expects the viaduct to open in phases from 2029 instead of 2027, and the tunnel from 2031 instead of 2029 (LTA, 17 September 2026). Buy near it for the long term, not for a quick gain, and do not pay a premium today for a benefit that is still five years away in the city section.
48-hour launch review
The showflat is built to make you say yes. I’m here to tell you when to say no.
Wrong stack, wrong facing, wrong price, and you pay twice: once when you buy, and again when you sell. Send me the units you’re eyeing. In 48 hours you get the price floor, the stacks I’d avoid, your real running costs and who buys from you later.
No calls unless you ask. If the numbers say don’t buy, I’ll tell you.
Check my units before I book →Source: LTA, North-South Corridor revised completion timeline, 17 September 2026; Mothership, October 2026.
Why the North-South Corridor matters to your home
Pay attention to the NSC if you live or plan to buy along the Woodlands, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Thomson or Novena stretch, you commute to the city by car or bus, and you plan to stay past the early 2030s. If you take the MRT every day, it will change much less for you.
A faster trip to town, by car and by bus
The NSC will carry through traffic in a viaduct and tunnel, taking pressure off the CTE, Thomson Road and Marymount Road (LTA). LTA has said its continuous bus lanes and bus priority will save bus commuters an average of 10 to 15 minutes on each trip. For families in the north who rely on buses, that is the biggest change.
Calmer, greener streets afterwards
Once traffic moves onto the viaduct and into the tunnel, LTA plans to repurpose surface streets for walking, cycling, public transport and community space (LTA, September 2026). Homes along Thomson Road and in Novena should be quieter places to live than they are today.
Construction relief comes before the opening
LTA says most of the major works that create the most dust and noise will be done by the end of 2027, more work will move underground from 2027, and roads and footpaths will be progressively reinstated from 2028 (Mothership, LTA). If you live near the works, the worst should be over before the roads open.
Who should not buy for the NSC
- You want a gain within five years. The city tunnel now opens from 2031. Any price effect may come later than you planned.
- You are sensitive to noise and dust. Homes beside the works will still be affected until the end of 2027 at least.
- You take the MRT everywhere. The NSC is a road project. Your commute will barely change.
Buy near the works, near the viaduct, or wait?
Choose by when you need to move and how much disruption you can live with.
Sources: EdgeProp transaction data for JadeScape and Clover By The Park, accessed October 2026; EdgeProp (Lentor Gardens Residences launch, July 2026); CapitaLand Development and UOL Group (Thomson Reserve, October 2026). JadeScape and Clover By The Park are pre-harmonisation projects.
What the market isn't telling you
1. Many launches were marketed on the old dates
Brochures and articles written before September 2026, including an earlier version of this page, said the NSC would start opening in 2027. LTA now says 2029 for the viaduct and 2031 for the tunnel, because of hard rock near Woodlands and Thomson and fractured ground beneath the live North-South Line at Novena (LTA). If anyone sells you a home on a 2027 NSC story, check the new dates.
2. Roads add less value than MRT lines
MRT stations tend to lift prices for homes within walking distance. A road project spreads its benefit more thinly across a whole corridor, and much of it goes to drivers and bus users rather than to the homes nearest the road. Do not pay an MRT-style premium for a road.
3. Living near the works has a cost now
The Marymount Flyover has been closed since October 2023 for NSC works (LTA). Homes near Marymount, Thomson Road and Novena have lived with diversions, noise and dust for years, and some of that continues until 2027. If you are buying a resale home there, ask the managing agent whether the works have affected the building, and check the sinking fund and recent AGM minutes.
Strengths and watch points
- Faster car and bus trips from the north to town
- Continuous bus lanes and bus priority
- Calmer surface streets once traffic moves underground
- More space for walking and cycling
- Less congestion on the CTE and Thomson Road
- About two years later than planned
- City tunnel only from 2031
- Construction near Marymount, Thomson and Novena until late 2020s
- Road benefits spread thinly across the corridor
- Little change for daily MRT users
Would you rather
A. A resale three-bedroom at Clover By The Park, near the Marymount works, at around its $1,887 psf average, moving in now.
B. A new three-bedroom at Lentor Gardens Residences at around $2,400 psf, near the viaduct end, with keys around December 2030.
James picks A, for a family that drives or buses to town and plans to stay past 2031, and can live with construction until about 2027. You pay far less per square foot, and the works near you will finish before the tunnel opens. If you want a new home and a longer lease, B is the better choice, but buy it for Lentor, not for the NSC.
What I think you should do
If the NSC is part of why you are buying, use LTA's new dates, not the old ones, and plan to hold until at least the mid-2030s. If you are looking at a home near the works, visit at peak hour on a weekday and check what you can hear and see from the unit.
For new launches on the corridor, read my reviews of Thomson Reserve and Lentor Gardens Residences, or the full Lentor guide. For CPF and financing, speak to a licensed financial adviser for advice specific to your situation.
Frequently asked questions
When will the North-South Corridor open?+ Read- Hide
LTA now expects the viaduct from Admiralty Road West to Lentor Avenue to open in phases from 2029, instead of 2027, and the tunnel from Lentor to the ECP to open in phases from 2031, instead of 2029 (LTA, 17 September 2026).
Why was the North-South Corridor delayed?+ Read- Hide
LTA cited harder rock and utilities near Woodlands Avenue 8 and Gambas Avenue, harder and more variable rock at Thomson, and fractured rock and groundwater beneath the live North-South Line at Novena, which required slower mining methods. Together these added about two years.
Will the North-South Corridor raise property prices?+ Read- Hide
It may help homes along the corridor over time, but road projects usually lift prices less than MRT stations, and the benefit is spread across a wide area. With the tunnel now opening from 2031, any effect is likely to come later than buyers expected.
Who should not buy a home because of the NSC?+ Read- Hide
Skip it as a reason to buy if you want a gain within five years, are sensitive to construction noise and dust near the works, or take the MRT for most trips. The NSC is a road project and will not change an MRT commute much.
When will the NSC construction noise end?+ Read- Hide
LTA says most of the major works that create the most dust and noise will be done by the end of 2027, more work will move underground from 2027, and roads and footpaths will be progressively reinstated from 2028.
Which areas does the North-South Corridor serve?+ Read- Hide
Sembawang, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Novena and Rochor, from Admiralty Road West in the north to the ECP (LTA). It is 21.5km long, with an 8.8km viaduct and a 12.3km tunnel.
Buying along the NSC?
Send me the home you are looking at. I'll check how close it is to the works, the new opening dates for that section, and how its price compares with nearby homes. You’ll get my full working within 48 hours. No pitch.
WhatsApp JamesSources+ Show all 9- Hide
- LTA, North-South Corridor: revised completion timeline due to complex ground conditions, 17 September 2026
- LTA, North-South Corridor project page
- LTA, transforming the North-South Corridor, July 2023
- LTA, SLA and BCA, joint news release on the North-South Corridor project and 68-74 Thomson Road, April 2021
- LTA, traffic updates: closure of the Marymount Flyover for NSC works
- Mothership, LTA to prioritise North-South Corridor surface works to reduce noise and dust by end-2027, October 2026
- EdgeProp, JadeScape and Clover By The Park transaction data, accessed October 2026
- EdgeProp, Lentor Gardens Residences launch day, July 2026
- CapitaLand Development and UOL Group, Thomson Reserve news release, 15 October 2026
Disclaimer & Licensing+-
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Property investments involve risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Readers should seek independent advice from licensed professionals before making any property or financial decision. James Ong is a licensed real estate salesperson (CEA Reg No. R008385F) with PropNex Realty Pte Ltd and is not a licensed financial adviser.
James Ong | CEA Reg No. R008385F | PropNex Realty Pte Ltd (CEA Licence L3008022J)
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