National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is commencing an independent investigation into the sinkhole that appeared along Tanjong Katong Road South.
Upon being alerted to the incident, BCA responded swiftly to prioritise public safety. Construction works at the site were immediately suspended, and a Stop Work Order was issued.
The builder and supervising Qualified Person (QP) were directed to implement necessary safety measures, including cordoning off the affected area, inspecting nearby buildings, backfilling the adjacent shaft, and conducting geophysical surveys to detect any underground voids.
Since the sinkhole appeared, BCA engineers have been monitoring the site around the clock to ensure the structural integrity of nearby buildings, roads, and infrastructure.
As a precaution, BCA also recommended that PUB implement a safety time-out across similar sewer construction projects nationwide and conduct a thorough review of current safety practices and protocols at these sites.
Backfilling of both the adjacent shaft and the sinkhole was completed in the early hours of 28 July 2025, stabilising the incident site.
Nearby buildings have been assessed and remain structurally safe.
With the site stabilised, BCA is now undertaking an independent investigation under the Building Control Act to determine the circumstances that led to the sinkhole.
The probe will seek to identify the root causes and establish whether there were any breaches of the Building Control Act or its regulations.
Given the complexity of the incident, the investigation is expected to take several months and will involve in-depth geotechnical analysis and validation testing by BCA and its appointed consultants.
In a Facebook post (here), Mr Goh Pei Ming, MP for Marine Parade–Braddell Heights GRC, shared that with backfilling completed, the PUB will conduct further tests to ensure there are no air pockets in the soil before repaving the road. In addition to radar scans, the testing will include a series of drilling probes reaching depths of up to 20 metres.
“This testing and analysis work will take some time. I understand residents are keen to know when the road can be reopened. I think it is best we give the agencies the time to be doubly sure the road is safe before we reopen,” Mr Goh said.
