Straits of Johor
The Straits of Johor (also known as the Tebrau Strait, Johor Strait, Selat Johor, Selat Tebrau, and Tebrau Reach) is a narrow stretch of water that separates Johor state, Malaysia from Singapore.
There are two current man-made land connections over the straits. There is a causeway between Johor Bahru and Woodlands, Singapore - called "The Causeway" - and there is a bridge further west between Gelang Patah in Johor and Tuas in Singapore - called "The Second Link".
In 2003 Malaysia wanted to build a bridge across the strait to replace the existing causeway, but negotiations with Singapore were not successful. The main reasons cited for the change were:
- a bridge would allow free flow of water across both sides of the straits which were artificially cut in two with the building of the causeway before.
- a bridge would help ease congestion in Johor Baru.
In August 2003, Malaysia announced that it was going ahead with a plan to build a gently sloping, curved bridge that would join up with Singapore's half of the existing causeway. The plans included a swing bridge for the railway line.
The area is also a source of contention due to Singapore's land reclamation projects of its north-east islands. There have been suggestions that the ongoing land reclamation projects may impact the maritime boundary, shipping lanes, and water ecology of the Malaysian side.
