ten mile junction



ten mile junction should be named tenth mile junction, otherwise it would be the longest junction on this planet. it serves as the depot for the bukit panjang lrt system.

when it first opened, there were shops on both levels. the anchor tenant was shop and save and there was a food court on level 2. within a matter of months, the shops started to close their shutters. soon it became a 'ghost shopping complex' where the number of workers outnumbered the number of patrons. even with a free shuttle service, it was not able to attract people to the complex.

then different taste - a restaurant - entered the scene. the complex was still deserted but, at least, in the evenings and on weekends, there were many diners at the restaurant. it was the only outlet that appeared to be thriving. but, overall, things still looked dim.

it became such an issue that it was mentioned in parliament. the authorities said it would be looking into ways to bring life to the place.

finally, life came in the form of sheng siong. soon throngs of people flock to grab the cheap buys at sheng siong. i met one of the moe camp caterers. he told me it was still cheaper for him to get his provisions from sheng siong than from a regular supplier.

since moving in, sheng siong has been reorganising the place so many times that customers are losing track of the location of the ware. one day, the foodstuff is in this corner and the next day, it is moved to another corner. quite exasperating if you need something urgently.

up to now, they have not implemented paid parking at the complex. some of the residents from the nearby estates of choa chu kang and bukit panjang continue to park their vehicles there overnight.