Johor–Singapore Causeway

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).

History

Construction and opening

In the late 19th century, Singapore was transformed into a major international trading port and was a steamship coaling station. At the turn of the 20th century, British Malaya was transformed into a major producer and exporter of raw materials such as tin, rubber, gambier, and pepper for international markets. The connection to Singapore from Johor was through a ferry link. Railways across the peninsula, and in Singapore from the ferry point to Tank Road in the south of Singapore completed the trade transport network within British Malaya. From June 1909 onward, goods were transported on wagon-ferry, while passengers were transported on passenger ferries (3 ferries from 1912 onward, 2 ferries before 1912). The wagon-ferry could accommodate 6 wagons at a time, while the passenger ferries had a capacity of about 160 each. As international trade demands grew, it was necessary to operate the ferry link round-the-clock in 1911 to bring the commodities from British Malaya into Singapore to be transshipped. Additional ferry steamers were constructed, however they soon were overloaded. The passenger steamers often had to exceed its designed limits, carrying "as many as 250 passengers". Additionally, the increasing costs of the maintaining the ferries were a concern on the long-term viability of the ferries. The annual expenditure in 1912 was estimated to be 53,750 Straits dollars (£1.8 million in 2000).

In 1917, Federated Malay States (FMS) Director of Public Works, W. Eyre Kenny's proposal to build a rubble causeway gained support among the Federal Council of the FMS.His suggestion was to have the foundation to be laid in the soft "white and pink clays" at the proposed site, have an opening span for ships to be allowed through the bridge, and have the rubble sourced from the quarries at Pulau Ubin and Bukit Timah as there were ample granite being sold at reasonable prices. Among the alternatives to the Causeway design were a bridge or upgrading the wagon-ferries and train ferries. The bridge proposal wasn't followed through because the Straits was too deep, going at 70 feet at some points and foundations would be lacking. An opening span would be required, and the bridge would require significant maintenance. The train ferries to replace the wagon-ferries would be too expensive as well.

The causeway proposal was accepted by FMS Chief Secretary and Straits Settlements Colonial Secretary, Edward Lewis Brockman, and Straits Settlements Governor and FMS High Commissioner, Sir Arthur Henderson Young. In 1917, Governor Young cited the six-fold increase in railway receipts in Singapore from 82,000 Straits dollars (£2.7 million in 2000) in 1912 to 480,000 Straits dollars (£11.8 million in 2000) in 1916 as an evidence to the rapid growth of the railway traffic, and thus the FMS Railway Administration could not defer any longer on the improvement works required. The British government had consultant engineers Messrs Coode, Fitzmaurice, Wilson & Mitchell of Westminster to prepare plans for the eventual Causeway. The plans were presented to the FMS, Straits Settlements and Johore governments in 1918. The plan was approved in 1919 after the sharing of the costs of constructing the Causeway, was negotiated between the three governments.

By the engineering standards of its time, the Causeway was a technically challenging project. It was also one of the largest engineering projects in Malaya then. Many considerations were factored for the finalised design. Tidal studies were carried out prior to the construction and design features were incorporated in consideration to the structure itself, its surroundings, and continued ship passage through the Straits. The orientation also factored in the current railway terminations on both shores. The design would be 3,465 feet long, 60 feet wide, sufficient for two lines of metre-gauge railway tracks and a 26 foot wide roadway, with space reserved for laying of water mains at a later date. Floodgates were incorporated at the lock to control the tides.

The construction contract was awarded to Messrs Topham, Jones & Railton Ltd of London on 30 June 1919. The engineering firm had completed major works at the dockyards and harbour in Singapore, and had necessary work capacity and experience in the area available. The contract allowed the firm a period of 5 years and 3 months to complete the construction. Construction started in August 1919, starting with the lock at Johore's bank. Sequence of construction would allow minimal disruption to existing shipping or ferrying services.

On 24 April 1920, a ceremony was held to mark the laying of the foundation stone. The Johore Sultan, Sultan Ibrahim, the newly appointed Governor of Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of the FMS, Sir Laurence Guillemard, his wife among other invited guests graced the ceremony on board Sea Belle, a sea yacht, in the middle of the Straits. The ceremony commenced with prayers and Governor Guillemard was invited to pull a silken cord which activated machinery to empty a load of rubble from a barge into the water. Sirens from the surrounding ships then greeted the now emptied barge. A second barge of rubble was emptied as well with air tolak bala and air doa selamat being poured into the Straits. A gun salute of five rounds fired from Bukit Timbalan marked the end of the ceremony.

British Malaya was impacted by the Depression of 1920–21 as she was a primary source for many commodities internationally. The constructions process was thus under intense public scrutiny and criticism. Additionally, the British Admiralty would like to have the locks be widened and deepened to accommodate British warships. However, it was found to be difficult to engineer and was very costly. The FMS and Straits Settlements government thus had considered dropping the project.

In January 1923, the lock was open for local sea craft. On 1 October, the partially completed Causeway was officially opened to passenger traffic. The Causeway was officially completed in 1924 when the finishing touches to the lock was done. With an estimated cost 17 million Straits dollars (£277 million in 2000), over 2,300 staff and labourers were employed to during the course of the construction. An opening ceremony was conducted in Johore on 28 June 1924. The Johore Sultan and Governor Guillemard graced the ceremony which a ribbon cutting ceremony was held. A special holiday was declared in Johore for more of the public to take part in the festivities. The opening marked a new era which uninterrupted communications between Singapore and Bangkok now exists. The administration of the Causeway was formalised in 1925 with the formation of the Johore Causeway Control Committee. Under FMSR, the committee was given full autonomy to oversee the efficient management and maintenance of the Causeway.

World War II and post-war period

As the Japanese invasion of Malaya drew to a close, the Allied forces under the command of Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival began retreating from their positions in Johore, crossing the Causeway in the early hours of 31 January 1942. The last unit to cross over was the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who were bagpiped across by two bagpipers Piper James McLean and Piper Charles Stewart to the tunes Hundred Pipers and Highland Laddie. The Causeway was then blown up with two explosions by Royal Engineers. The first wrecked the lock's lift-bridge, while the second caused a 70-foot-wide (21 m) gap in the Causeway and severed the water-carrying pipelines as well. Though this action forced the Japanese to cross the Straits elsewhere, they soon took the city and constructed a girder bridge over the gap.

The bridge remained in its war-torn state until the return of the British after the surrender of the Imperial Japanese forces. The girder bridge, now rotting, was replaced with two Bailey bridge extensions in February 1946, with the rubble of the demolished lift bridge cleared and the railway tracks re-laid. Reconstruction plans of lock channel and lift bridge were looked at in the late 1940s, but were subsequently shelved since demand for water passage through the Causeway wasn't substantial enough to justify the reconstruction costs.

During the Malayan Emergency of 1948 to 1960, as a strategic conduit between Singapore and Malaya, travellers were subjected to stringent security measures to impede the movement of enemy combatants and weapons between Singapore and Malaya. The checks, together with attacks on railway lines further aggravated the traffic congestion on the Causeway. Additionally, the Causeway would be further congested during public holidays and festive seasons.

Independence and border control

The Causeway first became an international border when the Federation of Malaya achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Plans were made to introduce immigration controls at the Causeway, however, a system of strict identity card checks was implemented instead. The Causeway became an internal state border when the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak merged to form Malaysia on 16 September 1963.

On 22 July 1964, as part of a curfew after racial riots in Singapore, the Causeway was closed to travellers without police permission. It was reopened during non-curfew hours the following day and normal traffic had resumed by 26 July.

After Singapore's separation from Malaysia on 9 August 1965, the Causeway became the border connector between the two countries. Immigration checkpoints were built on both sides, with passport controls implemented on the Singaporean side from June 1967 and on the Malaysian side from September.

Toll collection at the Causeway checkpoint began on 1 November 1984, with ten lanes in total. The toll booths were built by the Malaysian Highway Authority. By December, over S$384,000 worth of toll money were collected. The toll collection reduced traffic congestions in the Causeway. Toll payments were collected for the Malaysian federal government.

To support the ever-increasing trade and foot traffic on the Causeway, both the Malaysian and Singapore governments carried out works to widen the Causeway multiple times as well as to improve checkpoint facilities. Singapore replaced its checkpoint in 1999, followed by Malaysia in 2008. A second border crossing bridge, the Malaysia–Singapore Second Link between Tanjung Kupang and Tuas, was completed in 1998.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia instituted a nationwide movement control order on 18 March 2020 and closed the country's borders, affecting hundreds of thousands of cross-border commuters between Malaysia and Singapore. However, the flow of cargo, goods and food supplies continued. The quota of daily passengers was increased to 3,420 on 14 March 2022. From 1 April 2022, the quota was lifted with no restrictions imposed on the mode of travel across the land connections.

Traffic volume

The Causeway is regularly described as one of the busiest land crossings in the world. It has been estimated that between 250,000 - 400,000 people use the causeway on a typical day.

In March 2023, it was reported that about 376,000 people crossed Singapore's land checkpoints (including both the Causeway and the Second Link) every day.

Between 16 June and 18 June 2023, during the school holidays period in Singapore, it was reported that an average of 406,000 persons crossed the Causeway each day, with a peak of 430,000 crossings on 16 June 2023.

On 28 March 2024, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, 510,000 people crossed the Singapore-Malaysia land borders ahead of a 3-day Good Friday weekend. This was reported to be the highest traffic at Singapore's land borders in a single day. There were continuous tailbacks at Woodlands Checkpoint throughout the day, with queues extending beyond the Seletar Expressway.

The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System opening in January 2027, is projected to relieve the Causeway's traveler numbers by 35%.

QR Code system

Singapore Checkpoint

In a bid to ease congestion and reduce waiting time, a QR code system was implemented on 19 March 2024. Travellers in cars passing through Singapore's Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints can clear immigration using QR codes – instead of their passports. The overall waiting time can be reduced by more than 30 per cent if most car travellers use QR codes for immigration clearance, said the Singapore authorities.

Malaysia Checkpoint

Immigration Department of Malaysia announced the news on its Facebook page on 26 June 2024. The first phase of testing of 'MyRentas" will only be available to bus passengers and Malaysian at the Sultan Iskandar Building. The testing period will be three months (until 12 September 2024), after which it will be open to other checkpoint users. MySejahtera's MyTripQR code clearance system was officially launched at the Second Link checkpoint between Singapore and Malaysia at the beginning of this month, but is currently only available for motorcycle lanes and bus passengers.