Siglap Park Connector: Watch Out For Obstacles

Siglap Park Connector: Watch Out For Obstacles

Watch out for obstacles when you travel along the Siglap Park Connector. These obstacles can be hazardous, although mostly they are irritants.

In my earlier post on the Siglap park connector, I mentioned some obstacles that I encountered on a recent trip. Here are the details.

The Permanent Obstacles

(1) Foot Bridge

Of all the obstacles, this is physically the most challenging. You will encounter this foot bridge at the Bedok North Flyover that connects the Bedok Town Park to the park on Bedok Reservoir Road.

Cyclists have to carry their bicycles up and across the bridge to the other side of the road if you wish to continue your journey along the Siglap Park connector.

(2) Speed Bumps

There are speed limiting bumps along the path to slow your cycling speed. If you race across these multiple humps at full speed, be prepared to be whacked on your bumps.

(3) Traffic Lights

Traffic lights are inevitable obstacles when the Siglap Park Connector cuts across vehicular traffic. If you stay on the park connector path, I think we ought to behave like a pedestrian and follow the green/red lights for pedestrians.

(4) Hilly Terrain

The part of the connector that hugs the PIE has challenging steep slopes and sharp twists along the route. You can roughly judge the height of each peak along the path by comparing your position with the HDB flats alongside the route.

The Temporary Obstacles

(1) Pedestrians

I found groups of pedestrians who use up the breadth of the paths for a stroll to be the most common obstacle and the easiest to clear. A friendly tinkle of the bicycle bell would usually send them hopping to the side.

(2) Cyclists

Other cyclists can also pose a hazard although they are not too much of a bother as long as they are not speed demons.

(3) Vehicles

Vehicles do cut across the park connector along certain parts of the route. These occur at the entrances to neighbourhood carparks off Lengkok Tiga. As there are no traffic lights, I needed to be wary whenever I crossed these roads.

(4) Fallen trees, branches, fruits

Occasionally, small branches and fruits litter the paths. I have yet to encounter a fallen tree although their occurrence is possible with the high number of trees along the Siglap Park Connector.

(5) Inclement Weather

Rain can be an unpredictable occurrence along the open air park connector. Fortunately, void decks of HDB flats and sheltered passageways near the Kembangan MRT can offer some protection from the elements.

Before my trip on the Siglap Park connector, I had thought that it would be a boring stretch of pathway that was straighforward to use. Now that I've experienced it, the Siglap Park Connector has many worthwhile challenges that offered a different perspective to a park connector.