Construction on Singapore metro’s new Downtown Line Phase I works started last month, and the major tunnelling work is being undertaken by Shimizu in a US$74.5M contract.
The main tunnelling contract (C905) for the 4.3km underground line involves design and construction of the tunnels between Promenade station and Marina Bay. Shimizu beat four rival bidders last year for the contract. Supervising firm is Maunsell Consultants (Singapore).
Further tunnelling works will take place under separate contracts for station construction at Bayfront, Landmark, Cross Street and Chinatown. The Phase I works are to be finished by 2013.
The Landmark contract (C907) is being executed by Taisei while the supervisor is Geoeng Consultants. Bayfront station (C906) was awarded to Sembawang Engineers & Constructors, with Gim Tian Civil Engineering as supervisor. Cross St is being designed and built (C908) by a JV of Samsung and Soletanche Bachy. The Chinatown station contract (C909) is being undertaken by Gammon Construction. The supervisor for both jobs is Meinhardt Infrastructure.
The Singapore Government also recently signalled S$20bn (US$14.5bn) plans for extensions and additions to the metro network, including extending the North-South and the East-West lines by 1km and 14km, respectively. It will build two further lines – Thomson (TSL) and Eastern Region (ERL), adding 48km to the network. The TSL is to be built by 2018 and ERL by 2020.
Separately, construction is continuing for the 12km long Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KLE), 9km of which will be underground – the longest road tunnel in south east Asia, the government said. The 3km long tunnel in Phase I opened last October and the remainder will be finished this year.
