Singapore cut $300 million in building costs with utility mapping
What's new: Officials said 272 km of underground utility routes were reviewed, and Singapore plans a digital portal and wider use of radar imaging.
Singapore has avoided about $300 million in construction costs since 2024 by spotting conflicts between underground utility projects before work starts, according to the Ministry of National Development. The process has been applied across 272 kilometers of utility routes, helping project teams avoid delays, repeated road openings and exploratory digging.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority introduced the workflow in 2024 to resolve clashes early, while agencies also used tools such as electromagnetic locators and ground-penetrating radar to map buried infrastructure. The approach has been used on projects including Tuas Road Viaduct Phase 2, the Changi Northern Road corridor and Tengah New Town Phase 4. The Singapore Land Authority is also building a centralized online portal for utilities data as the government works toward a digital twin of underground space.