Causeway gridlock: Hours-long jam stretches from Woodlands into Johor Baru, expected to last till midnight

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — Travellers heading to Singapore are reportedly facing significant delays on the Johor Causeway, with traffic backlogged from the Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore to the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (BSI) complex in Johor Baru.

The congestion, which began around 2pm, persisted well into the evening.

At the time of writing, ‘live’ traffic cameras showed vehicles at a standstill along the Causeway, while entry into Johor Baru remained clear.

A Home Ministry official told The Star Online that despite all vehicle counters being operational at the BSI, an overwhelming number of vehicles arriving from Woodlands was straining capacity.

“We hope the public can stagger their journeys as the wait can take up to two to three hours to reach Singapore,” the official was quoted as saying, adding that the bottleneck was also impacting vehicles entering the BSI from Johor.

The official predicted the jam would persist until midnight, urging commuters to plan accordingly.

Meanwhile, traffic police were deployed to manage congestion in Johor Baru’s city centre, while bus passengers struggled to proceed after clearing Malaysian immigration due to buses being stuck in traffic.

Heavy rain further exacerbated the situation by reducing visibility along the Causeway.

A traveller, only known as Tan, highlighted operational challenges on the Singapore side, suggesting not all immigration counters were open.

“The Malaysian side seemed smooth, but there appears to be an issue in Singapore. I hope they plan better, especially with New Year just around the corner,” she was quoted as saying.

Commuters are advised to monitor updates and exercise patience as authorities work to ease the congestion.