On 17 September, the Land Transport Authority announced that the North‑South Corridor will now open in phases from 2029, pushing back the original 2027 target by two years.

At Novena, Mr Alvin Lin, owner of Celine’s Gelato, said business has fallen by 75 per cent. The ice‑cream shop, once open from 11 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. daily, has cut its hours and now closes on Mondays. “Now it is very tough to sustain in the daytime … We are unable to open on Monday because there are zero sales,” he said.

Just down the road, Ms Lim Shi Shi, proprietor of the Mexican eatery El Cocinero, reported a 60 per cent drop in turnover since construction began. She added, “I already wanted to leave the place because it’s not doing well. So I don’t want to fight this war anymore. But now that you say it’s extending another two more years, you’re giving me an assurance that I should not continue.”

Urban Laundry, run by 60‑year‑old Mr John Goh, has seen revenue shrink by about 30 per cent. “The construction site is very inconvenient and the diversions keep changing, so people are very confused,” he explained, noting that the business now relies more on pick‑up and delivery to retain customers.

Mr Mike Mok of Chye Kee Goldhill Roasted Chicken Rice said sales have slipped between 25 and 30 per cent. He blamed dust, traffic congestion and the loud lunchtime construction, adding, “Sometimes it’s really too noisy … Then they will send someone down to stop them.”

Residents of Braddell View are also feeling the strain. Ms Ella Baptista, who lives opposite the site, told CNA her walk to Marymount MRT has doubled from ten to twenty minutes. “Same with going down to Novena, for example. The added traffic because of the construction (will take us) five to ten minutes more in the morning, which makes a difference especially if you’re changing buses,” she said. She also mentioned a recent network‑line cut that left the block without Wi‑Fi. They also endure constant dust and daytime noise from the site.

Together, the delayed opening is eroding foot traffic, inflating operating costs and degrading the everyday quality of life for both merchants and neighbours, underscoring how infrastructure setbacks ripple far beyond the construction zone.