Buses diverted after tree falls on Pipit Road in MacPherson

A tree fell across Pipit Road, causing traffic to be diverted on Wednesday (Feb 18) morning.

MacPherson MP Tin Pei Ling shared in a Facebook post that the police and Marine Parade-Braddell Heights Town Council were on the scene "first thing" to help manage the traffic and pedestrians.

While nobody had been injured nor cars damaged, bus services were affected.

"This tree was last checked to be healthy by the Horticulture contractor in November last year," she added.

"I have nonetheless asked that the specialists investigate the cause of the fall and to check all the trees again."

Photos posted by Tin show the tree sprawled across the entire road, with a pole bent in half and a sign damaged.

There is also tape cordoning the area off.

SBS Transit posted on X at 8.25am that bus services 40, 63/63M, 65, 135, 154, 155 and 158 had been diverted from Paya Lebar Road, Circuit Link, Circuit Road, Mattar Road and Aljunied Road, skipping 12 bus stops due to the fallen tree.

At 10.19am, it updated that the bus services had resumed normal operations.

Please be informed that Services 40, 63/63M, 65, 135, 154, 155 and 158 are back to normal operations. https://t.co/9eQj6cHwpA

— SBS Transit (@SBSTransit_Ltd) February 18, 2026

According to The Straits Times, SMRT buses also showed a diversion notice on mobile apps.

Clearance underway

One of the lanes at Pipit Road had been opened for traffic by around 10am, with workers loading pieces of the tree onto a lorry to take them away.

The Straits Times quoted a contractor as saying that the tree had fallen around 8am, and he had arrived half an hour later.

He said that there was barely any traffic jam or confusion, as the traffic police already blocked entry to Pipit Road from the expressway by the time he had arrived, diverting vehicles onto Paya Lebar Road and then Circuit Link. 

"There was a bus which could not pass through the road due to the fallen tree and was stuck for around 1 1/2 hours before it could pass at around 10am," the contractor added.

Damage was also minimal, he said, as only a lighting pole and a temporary structure to hang lanterns from had been affected.

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drimac@asiaone.com