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
Interactive map of Johor–Singapore Causeway
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 across the Straits of Johor. The Causeway links Johor Bahru in Malaysia to Woodlands in Singapore. It is one of the busiest border crossings in the world, with 350,000 road and rail travelers daily. The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System opening in January 2027, is projected to relieve The Causeway's traveler numbers by 35%. The Causeway also serves as a water pipeline between the two countries.

The Causeway officially opened in 1923. Its construction interrupted the water flow through the Straits of Johor, especially after the post World War II permanent closure of the lock channel. Retreating Allied forces blew up The Causeway in two places in World War II. That forced the advancing Imperial Japanese Army to instead cross the Straits elsewhere.

The Causeway first became an international border when the Federation of Malaya achieved independence on 31 August 1957. The Causeway then became an internal state border when the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak merged to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963. After Singapore's separation from Malaysia on 9 August 1965, The Causeway became the border connector between the two countries. The Causeway was the only land connection across the Straits of Johor until 1998 when the Tuas Second Link opened.

The border is managed by immigration authorities of both countries at the Southern Integrated Gateway (Malaysia) and Woodlands Checkpoint (Singapore) respectively. The distance between the checkpoints across The Causeway is approximately 2.4 km (1.5 mi).