By Rose Bell
In order to advancing the design and construction of tunnels for the Cross Island Line (CRL) Phase 2, Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has granted another contract.
While responsibility of the tunnels between West Coast station (CR18) and Jurong Lake District station (CR19) will be up to Nishimatsu Construction Co Ltd – Okumura Corporation Singapore Branch Joint Venture, this contract’s value is almost S$242m (£140.9m).
Building of twin bored tunnels, each extending 2.4km under the Sungei Pandan canal and key infrastructure such as the West Coast Highway and Ayer Rajah Expressway, are the contents of this project, whereas the tunnels are due to be at depths of up to 40m – 10m deeper than is typical for other stations on the project.
The geology is mainly weathered soil and hard sedimentary rock.
The scheduled date for commencing the construction works is the fourth quarter of this year and passenger service for CRL Phase 2 is targeted to start in 2032.
The location of working for Nishimatsu Construction Co is currently the bored tunnels between Tampines North station (CR6) and Defu station (CR7) and the tunneling works at Keppel station for Circle Line 6 as well as Gardens by the Bay station for the Thomson-East Coast Line, have been already completed by this company.
Additionally, the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System as well as the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway and Taipei MRT Airport Line, were the previous works of Okumura Corporation.
Connecting major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region, the CRL is Singapore’s eighth MRT line and about half of its stations will have interchanges with other rail lines.
The fully underground CRL is being constructed in three phases. Including 12 stations, CRL Phase 1 that was announced in 2019 is 29km long and its construction works are undergoing and the line is slated to be completed by 2030. CRL Phase 2, announced in September 2022, is approximately 15km and has six underground stations.
Engineering studies for the CRL Phase 3 are ongoing.
