Jalan Kayu

Etymology and history

Jalan Kayu was built in 1928 when the first Royal Air Force base outside the United Kingdom was established in Singapore, in the northern part of the island.

Jalan Kayu means "wooden road" in Malay. One version for the road name's origin is that firewood used to be stacked on the roadside. Another version is that the muddy laterite roads leading to the rubber estates in the area were made passable due to logs of wood that used to cover the muddy roads, hence the term in Malay jalan kayu.

Jalan Kayu Today

The street itself is a relatively minor, one-lane road. However, it became prominent in Singapore for two reasons. Firstly, it was the main access route to the large British-built military compound in Seletar as well as the neighbouring Seletar Airport. Secondly, a range of road-side eateries selling roti prata gradually earned a reputation among the people of Singapore as arguably amongst the best in Singapore, and the road name became a household name for good food in a laidback setting.

A small section of Jalan Kayu between Yio Chu Kang Road and Sengkang West Avenue was closed on 13 October 2013, to make way for development of the Seletar Aerospace Park, as well as for the construction of Sengkang West Road. The construction of Sengkang West Road was part of the road interchange for the Seletar Aerospace Park and future Sengkang Industrial Estate, as the existing Jalan Kayu could not support the traffic demands from the future developments.

Another short section of Jalan Kayu, between Seletar West Farmway 4 and Sengkang West Way was widened from a one-lane road to a two-lane road to further ease traffic congestion. New traffic signals were installed as well. Currently, an extension to Sengkang West Way is under construction, which would turn the 3-way junction of Jalan Kayu and Sengkang West Way to a four-way one. The construction is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2017. Upon completion, Jalan Kayu and Sengkang West Road will be connected while connectivity between Sengkang West area and Tampiness Expressway (TPE) will be improved.

Getting there

Services 85 (Punggol - Yishun), 86 (Sengkang - Ang Mo Kio), 103 (Serangoon - Yishun) and lately, new bus service 102 (Hougang - Jalan Kayu), connects Jalan Kayu to Hougang, Buangkok and Sengkang. Two bus stops at the end of Jalan Kayu serve as a transfer point for the rest of the buses to other areas.

The Thanggam LRT Station of the Sengkang LRT Line can also be connected to the shophouses via Lorong Samak, a small road off Jalan Kayu.