Johor–Singapore Causeway

Johor–Singapore Causeway
The Johor–Singapore Causeway. The end of Singaporean territory in the foreground and start of Malaysian territory in the background can be seen with the differences in road surface, street lights, and markings near the midsection of the Causeway.
Coordinates1°27′10″N 103°46′09″E / 1.452772°N 103.769153°E / 1.452772; 103.769153
Carries
CrossesStraits of Johor
LocaleJohor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia, Bangunan Sultan Iskandar
Woodlands, Singapore, Woodlands Checkpoint
Official nameJohor–Singapore Causeway
Maintained byPLUS Expressways (Malaysia)
Land Transport Authority (Singapore)
Characteristics
DesignCauseway
MaterialRubble
Total length1 km (0.62 mi) (Causeway) 2.4 km (1.5 mi) (Distance between both checkpoints)
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks1
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in)
ElectrifiedNo
History
Construction startAugust 1919
Construction end17 September 1923
Construction cost17 million Straits dollars (1918)
Opened28 June 1924
Inaugurated28 June 1924
Location
Johor–Singapore Causeway
Chinese name
Chinese新柔長堤
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinXīn róu cháng dī
Malay name
MalayTambak Johor–Singapura
Tamil name
Tamilஜோகூர்-சிங்கப்பூர் காஸ்வே
Jōkūr-Ciṅkappūr kāsvē

The Johor–Singapore Causeway is a 1.056-kilometre (0.66 mi) causeway consisting of a combined railway and motorway crossing that links Malaysia's second largest city of Johor Bahru across the Straits of Johor to the district and town of Woodlands in Singapore. It was the only land connection between the two from 1923 until 1998, when the Tuas Second Link opened. The distance between Singapore's Woodlands Checkpoint and Malaysia's Bangunan Sultan Iskandar is approximately 2.4 km (1.5 mi). It also serves as a water pipeline between the two countries, with untreated water being sent to Singapore, and some of the treated water being sent back to Malaysia.

It is one of the busiest border crossings in the world, with 350,000 travellers daily. A vast majority of these travellers are Malaysian citizens working or studying in Singapore for its more desirable education and employment opportunities, in part due to the strength of the Singapore dollar over the Malaysian ringgit as well as a higher quality of life. A few continue to reside within Johor and commute daily with either public or private motorised transportation to and from Singapore, enduring long journey times with extremely heavy traffic congestion on weekdays. The border is handled by immigration authorities of both countries at the Southern Integrated Gateway (Malaysia) and Woodlands Checkpoint (Singapore) respectively.

Both countries permit pedestrians to walk along the entire length of the causeway on foot, although this is not common and is generally limited to instances of standstill vehicular congestion throughout the partial or entire length of the causeway, which prevents passengers from boarding regular-hour cross-border public buses after clearing immigration.