LTA awards two contracts for Cross Island Line Phase 1

The first contract, valued at US$238m, was awarded to Hock Lian Seng Infrastructure for the design and construction of Aviation Park Station and tunnels. Construction work on the station is expected to start in Q1 2022, with passenger service scheduled to begin in 2030. Located next to Changi Coast Road and Aviation Park Road, the underground station will be in challenging ground conditions comprising thick layers of marine clay.

Ensuring stability of the ground and surrounding structures will require safety measures to be implemented during earth retaining, structural stabilisation and deep excavation works. Construction will be carried out under strict compliance to regulations, including aviation height restrictions, given the proximity to Changi Airport.

The second contract for the design and construction of the bored tunnel between Tampines North and Defu stations was awarded to Nishimatsu Construction Co at a contract value of around US$330m. It includes the construction of a facility building with underground basements to cater for CRL1’s electrical and mechanical requirements. Construction work on the bored tunnel is expected to start in December 2021. A TBM of roughly 12.6m diameter – the largest-ever to be deployed in Singapore – will excavate a single, 2.9km-long double-tracked tunnel. Situated at an average depth of around 35m below ground, it will reach 50m at the deepest point. Tunnelling will be mostly through Old Alluvium comprising mainly sandy and silty clay; its abrasiveness is expected to cause some cutter wear to the TBM.

CRL is Singapore’s eighth MRT line. It will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, north-eastern and western corridors, linking major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region. Almost half of CRL stations will interchange with other lines.

At 29km-long, CRL1 will have 12 stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. Serving various residential and industrial areas, it will benefit more than 100,000 households and will make common recreational spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park more accessible by public transport. Detailed studies for subsequent CRL phases are ongoing.