The Causeway (about 1.06 km) links Woodlands to Johor Bahru city centre, where Malaysian checks are done at the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) complex; it carries cars, motorcycles, buses, pedestrians and the KTM shuttle, and Woodlands Checkpoint alone handles about 242,000 travellers a day (ICA). The Second Link (a 1.92 km bridge, opened 1998) links Tuas to Tanjung Kupang in the west, with Malaysian checks at the Sultan Abu Bakar complex (KSAB); it is vehicle-only on the Singapore side and usually flows more smoothly. Use the Causeway for JB city centre and the RTS area; use the Second Link for Iskandar Puteri and western Singapore. Car tolls on the Singapore side are S$0.80 at Woodlands and S$2.10 at Tuas.
“Should I go by the Second Link or the Causeway?” For drivers, bus riders and anyone choosing where to live in Johor Bahru, the answer depends mostly on two things: where you start and where you are going. This quick guide compares the Tuas Second Link (KSAB) and the Causeway (BSI) on location, who uses each, traffic patterns, tolls and how close each one is to JB city centre and Iskandar Puteri.
Second Link vs Causeway at a glance
The Causeway is the short, central, busy crossing; the Second Link is the longer western bridge that suits drivers bound for the west on both sides.
| Feature | Causeway | Second Link |
|---|---|---|
| Opened | 1923 (formally opened 1924) | 2 January 1998 |
| Crossing length | About 1.06 km | Bridge 1.92 km; about 6 km between checkpoints |
| Malaysian checkpoint | Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI), JB city centre | Sultan Abu Bakar complex (KSAB), Tanjung Kupang |
| Singapore checkpoint | Woodlands Checkpoint | Tuas Checkpoint (vehicles only; no walk-ins) |
| Connects to | JB city centre, JB Sentral, Bukit Chagar | Second Link Expressway (E3) towards Gelang Patah, Iskandar Puteri and Senai; AYE in Singapore |
| Who uses it | Cars, motorcycles, buses, pedestrians, KTM Shuttle Tebrau | Cars, motorcycles, coaches and buses, goods vehicles |
| Singapore car toll | S$0.80 (Woodlands) | S$2.10 (Tuas) |
| Malaysian car toll | Charged at the BSI plaza | RM6.14 at Tanjung Kupang (since March 2023) |
Sources: Wikipedia entries for the Causeway, Second Link and Second Link Expressway; LTA (Singapore tolls); The Star (Tanjung Kupang toll). Motorcycles pay no toll at either Singapore checkpoint.
Where are the Causeway and the Second Link?
The Causeway lands in the heart of Johor Bahru; the Second Link lands on the far west of the Johor Bahru district. That single difference drives almost every other choice.
- Causeway (BSI): the BSI complex, part of the Southern Integrated Gateway, opened in December 2008 next to JB Sentral. Step out and you are already in the city centre, a short walk from Bukit Chagar and the RTS Link station.
- Second Link (KSAB): the bridge runs from Tanjung Kupang in Johor to Tuas in Singapore. On the Malaysian side it feeds the 47 km Second Link Expressway, with interchanges for Gelang Patah, Iskandar Puteri and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas before it reaches the North-South Expressway near Senai.
Rather than quote a single road distance, which depends on your exact start and end points, the practical rule is: if your JB destination is the city centre, Bukit Chagar, Larkin or Kebun Teh, the Causeway is the direct route; if it is Gelang Patah, Puteri Harbour, EduCity or Legoland in Iskandar Puteri, the Second Link usually is. You can see the main JB landmarks on our JB amenities map.
Who uses which crossing?
The Causeway carries the daily commuter crowd; the Second Link carries more drivers, coaches and freight heading west.
- Daily workers and pedestrians: the Causeway. ICA says close to 100,000 bus passengers a day, mostly Malaysian workers, pass through Woodlands Checkpoint, about 40% of its volume.
- Rail: the KTM Shuttle Tebrau uses the Causeway corridor, and the RTS Link (targeted for February 2027) runs alongside it between Bukit Chagar and Woodlands North.
- Drivers bound for western Singapore: the Second Link connects directly to the AYE, so Jurong and Tuas are close.
- Bus riders to the west: Causeway Link CW3, CW4, CW6 and CW7 use the Second Link, linking Jurong Town Hall, Boon Lay and Tuas Link MRT with Perling Mall, Sutera Mall and Gelang Patah (Wise, September 2026).
Which crossing has less traffic?
The Second Link usually flows more smoothly, but neither crossing is immune at peaks. The bridge was designed for up to 200,000 vehicles a day, and it is generally quicker than the Causeway, although both see heavy jams during festive periods.
- Weekday peaks: mornings into Singapore and the 5pm–8pm evening departure peak at Woodlands, when ICA says travel time can reach about 60 minutes.
- Holidays: ICA issues advisories before school holidays and long weekends. Close to 589,000 travellers entered Singapore through the land checkpoints on 19 December 2025 (The Star, citing ICA), and ICA reported a new daily high of more than 599,000 travellers across Woodlands and Tuas on 4 September 2026.
- The trade-off: the Second Link saves queue time on many days, but the longer drive on the Malaysian side can cancel the saving if your destination is JB city centre.
Plan around busy dates with our Causeway jam calendar for 2027.
Tolls and fees: Second Link vs Causeway
For a car, the Second Link costs more in tolls on both sides. LTA charges S$0.80 at Woodlands and S$2.10 at Tuas, matching Malaysia’s own rates under Singapore’s long-standing policy, and charges no toll for motorcycles at either checkpoint. On the Malaysian side, the Tanjung Kupang plaza has charged cars RM6.14 at all hours since March 2023, and Malaysian plazas at both crossings take electronic payment such as Touch ’n Go. Other costs, such as the VEP for foreign-registered cars, apply whichever crossing you use; see our RTS vs bus vs car comparison for the 2027 VEP rates.
“But what if I work in western Singapore and want to live in JB city centre?”
It is a common combination and it works, as long as you plan around your mode. By bus, take a Causeway route from the JB CIQ to Woodlands or Kranji and continue west by MRT; once the RTS opens, you can also change to the TEL at Woodlands North. By car or motorcycle, you can pick the Causeway or the Second Link day by day depending on traffic. Measure the full door-to-door time, not just the minutes on the bridge, and try the trip on a weekday morning and evening before you commit to a lease or a purchase.
What this means for where you live in JB
If you will cross often, match your home to your crossing. Iskandar Puteri suits people who work in western Singapore and drive the Second Link. JB city centre suits people who work in central or northern Singapore, cross on foot or by bus, and want the RTS Link on their doorstep.
Causewayz Square on Jalan Lumba Kuda is about 600 m from the BSI CIQ and about 800 m from the Bukit Chagar RTS station, with a pedestrian link bridge towards the CIQ and RTS proposed by the developer; target completion is around 2030. Our JB–Singapore border crossing guide covers QR clearance at both crossings. WhatsApp us for the latest SPA price list.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Malaysia–Singapore Second Link
- Wikipedia: Johor–Singapore Causeway
- Wikipedia: Second Link Expressway (E3)
- LTA: Toll charges at Tuas Checkpoint (Mar 2023)
- The Star: Singapore to match Malaysia’s revised Second Link toll (Mar 2023)
- ICA: Traffic congestion at the land checkpoints
- The Star: Record 245 million travellers through Singapore’s checkpoints in 2025 (Feb 2026)
- Wise: Bus to JB from Singapore 2026
This guide is general information, not financial advice.