No hitches on first day of Changi Airport's Terminal 1 car park closure

The permanent closure of Changi Airport's Terminal 1 (T1) car park came into effect without a hitch yesterday, after kinks were ironed out in a trial closure last month, reported The Straits Times.

There was no sign of confusion when The Straits Times visited the airport between 8:00am and 10:30am. Traffic was smooth at both T1 and Terminal 2 (T2), where a replacement car park was located. Drivers interviewed said the road signs and lane markings were clear and that it was easy to find their way around.

More signs were put up in the new T1 car park at T2 to guide drivers from T2 back to T1, after feedback during the dry run from drivers left confused about where to go after parking their cars at T2. After parking at the new T1 car park, drivers heading to T1 should go to the T2 departure hall, where they can take the Skytrain or a new shuttle bus service to T1 that runs from noon to 9:00pm daily.

The open air car park at T1, which had 850 spaces, was closed to make way for Project Jewel, a new multi-storey complex that will house retail outlets, a hotel and airport operations, and an underground car park with 2,500 spaces. It is expected to be ready in 2018.