Blog Article for Changi Airport Group (Changi East)

As a road planner, Yeow Bock Chin has spent decades shaping Singapore’s roads. Given his experience, it is no surprise that he was recently brought in to oversee the road planning for Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 project.

As one of Singapore’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, the success of the upcoming Terminal 5 depends on a road network that can efficiently manage traffic to and fro the airport.

“When I joined, the preliminary design had already been done,” Bock Chin explains. “But, we had to refine these plans to ensure efficient traffic flow from across the island. Traffic data showed that more drivers preferred the PIE over the TPE, so we adjusted our designs to prioritize access routes from the PIE.”

Another change he and the team made was the design for the airport’s new Ground Transport Centre, an area designed to streamline passenger flow via taxis and ride-hailing rides. “We designed multi-level zones to keep taxis and Grab cars organized and moving efficiently, based on past experiences of congestion at the airport,” Bock Chin says. “Previously, vehicles would queue haphazardly in the limited space outside arrival halls, taking up parts of the road while waiting for passengers.”

At 69, Bock Chin knows he may not get to see the completion of the Terminal 5 project, slated for 2030. Yet, retirement has not dampened his passion for road planning. In fact, having come out of retirement for this challenge, he remains motivated by the chance to contribute to a landmark project. “I’m doing this for future generations, not for myself. It’s my way of helping others,” he shares.

Preferring hand-drawn sketches over digital tools, Bock Chin believes that manual drafting sharpens his attention to detail. “If you’re new to road planning, forget entering numbers into software. It’s far more important to understand how every choice you make affects real-world traffic,” he says.

Bock Chin considers how roads function under stress, whether from peak-hour surges, heavy vehicles, or unforeseen disruptions. It would be important to design roads not just to accommodate daily traffic, but to withstand congestion. “A road system that works only under ideal conditions is not a good system,” he says.

In fact, road planning involves studying traffic patterns, land use, and future growth to create networks that keep vehicles moving efficiently. Well-planned roads reduce congestion and adapt to changing demands over time.

For Terminal 5, this means creating roads that connect easily to Singapore’s existing expressways while preparing for growing traffic in the years ahead.

Bock Chin says that his past projects like the East Coast Parkway and Marina Coastal Expressway has helped him learn to anticipate how road needs evolve. It may seem easy to to predict traffic flow, but there is always an element of uncertainty as driver behavior, evolving land use, and unforeseen events can all shift patterns over time. That is why he believes planning the roads for extra flexibility is important.

In fact, his design includes a potential viaduct connection from the Changi naval base. “If we don’t allow for future connections now, traffic congestion will become unavoidable down the line,” he remarks. “Also, once the roads are built, it’s difficult to change them later. Finding space or rerouting traffic later is far more complicated than designing for it now.”

Working with the Land Transport Authority added another challenge. “I simplified the viaduct design to meet LTA’s standards, making it easier to build and ensuring new roads connect smoothly with existing ones,” he says. And, instead of relying solely on formal meetings, Bock Chin walks sites with stakeholders, using visual aids to explain plans and gather input in person. “Showing plans on-site helps everyone understand what’s possible,” he notes.

The viaduct also had to be integrated with Singapore’s expressways, requiring land to be reclaimed from golf courses and military areas to accommodate new roads. “We had to negotiate and redesign to make it all fit,” he shares. His team also ensured that essential utilities, including water, electricity, and telecommunications, were incorporated into the road design. “You can’t just think about roads in isolation,” he says. “Every road has to work with the systems beneath it.”

Mentoring young engineers on the project is another priority for Bock Chin, who wants them to keep learning. “I ask them, ‘Do you know why you’re inputting these numbers?’ Understanding the ‘why’ matters,” he emphasizes. He encourages his team to evaluate how their designs translate to real-world conditions, from the way road curvature influences vehicle speed to how elevation changes affect drainage. In fact, with plans to retire in two years, Bock Chin hopes his experience will stay with his colleagues long after he leaves.

As Terminal 5’s road network takes shape, his role will continue to be needed. He expects to spend his remaining time troubleshooting challenges on-site, working with engineers, and making sure the final design aligns with the vision he and his team have set. “There’s always room to improve,” he says. “Good roads do not just move traffic. They support the way a city grows.”