Last 3 Thomson Line contracts awarded

 Last 3 Thomson Line contracts awarded

THE last three contracts for major civil works on the 30km Thomson MRT Line have been awarded.

The contracts, amounting to $1.32 billion in total, are for the Orchard, Marina South and Gardens by the Bay stations and the associated tunnels, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) yesterday.

They bring the full tally to 25 major civil contracts, worth a combined $7.77 billion, for the new four-car line that will link Woodlands to Marina Bay.

The Thomson Line, with 22 stations (of which six are interchanges), is expected to cost $18 billion and to be completed in phases, from 2019 to 2021.

Its northern tip will eventually link up with Johor Baru in Malaysia, while its southern tip will continue eastwards as the upcoming Eastern Region Line to serve areas like Marine Parade and Changi.

LTA deputy chief executive Chua Chong Kheng said the award of the latest contracts signals that the construction of the Thomson Line is "currently in full swing, and the line is on track to open in phases between 2019 and 2021".

Japanese builder Penta-Ocean Construction, in a joint venture with Bachy Soletanche Singapore, clinched the contract for the Orchard station for $498 million.

The station will be an interchange connecting the Thomson Line with the North-South Line. Once the station is opened, commuters on the North-South Line will have greater access to the Thomson and Havelock precincts.

The builders, however, will face engineering challenges, including having to excavate below the North-South Line.

A joint venture between Sinohydro Corp and Sembcorp Design and Construction landed the deal totalling $488 million for the Marina South station and tunnels.

China-owned Sinohydro is a hydropower engineering and construction company that has been involved in a wide range of international infrastructure projects.

The contract for the Gardens by the Bay station and tunnels went to Nishimatsu Construction, which is partnering Bachy Soletanche Singapore in the $331 million project.

The Gardens by the Bay station - together with the Woodlands, Lentor, Mayflower, Bright Hill and Mount Pleasant stations - will serve as a Civil Defence shelter along the Thomson Line.

The station will also link Thomson Line to the future Eastern Region Line.

christan@sph.com.sg


This article was first published on Jul 26, 2014.
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