Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has marked the start of construction for the Cross Island Line – Punggol Extension (CPe) today with a ground-breaking ceremony. The event was officiated by Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat at the site of the future CPe Riviera MRT station.
The 7.3km CPe comprises four stations, namely Punggol, Riviera, Elias, and Pasir Ris. Three of the stations will serve as interchanges with other rail lines. CPe Pasir Ris station will link to the East-West Line, CPe Punggol station to the North East Line while CPe Riviera station will link to the Punggol LRT Line.
The CPe will connect to the main Cross Island Line (CRL) at Pasir Ris station. Construction works for the 12 CRL Phase 1 stations (Aviation Park to Bright Hill) commenced in January this year. LTA is progressively calling tenders for CRL Phase 2 which comprises six stations from Turf City to Jurong Lake District. Engineering studies are ongoing for the third phase of the CRL.
As the CPe will be constructed near existing residential and industrial areas, innovative technologies and construction methods will be adopted to minimise inconvenience to stakeholders and to deliver the project effectively. For example:
a. Equipment that emits less noise such as electric excavators and battery power pack generators will be used at some sections of the worksite.
b. A robotic shotcrete machine will be deployed to construct a mined section of the tunnel, which will improve safety and productivity while reducing reliance on manpower.
c. Customised reinforcement bars, known as head-bars, will also be installed at appropriate sections of Riviera station, to streamline installation and increase productivity.
d. A large diameter TBM will be deployed to construct the tunnels between Elias station and Punggol station, via Riviera station. The 12.6m TBM will only have to bore through the ground once to create sufficient space for two MRT tracks.
e. Technological tools such as virtual reality and augmented reality will be used to enhance the design and coordination process, and further optimise the design of CPe stations. Design and coordination works would be supported by the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools, which help designers to coordinate and deconflict the locations of different services in the complex network of systems around the stations.
LTA and our contractors will monitor the works closely to ensure that they are carried out safely while striving to minimise noise and inconvenience to affected stakeholders.
CPe stations will incorporate active energy-saving features, including solar photovoltaic panels on entrance structures as well as hybrid cooling systems for public areas. The hybrid system uses fans in tandem with air-conditioning to keep stations comfortable for commuters while reducing overall energy consumption. Low-carbon concrete will also be used for some station structures. These measures will contribute to a greener and more sustainable land transport network for Singapore.
LTA’s eighth MRT line, the Cross Island Line (CRL) will be its longest fully underground line at more than 50km long. It will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, western, and north-eastern corridors, connecting major hubs such as Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi region.
Constructed in three phases, the 29km long Phase 1 of the CRL (CRL1) will comprise twelve (12) stations from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. This will serve residential and industrial areas such as Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu, Hougang, Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio. More than 100,000 households will benefit from CRL1, and common recreational spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will also become accessible by public transport. Construction for CRL1 has commenced and is targeted to be completed by 2030.
Phase 2 of the CRL (CRL2) is approximately 15km and comprises six (6) underground stations – Turf City, King Albert Park, Maju, Clementi, West Coast and Jurong Lake District.
The 7.3km CRL – Punggol Extension will provide a direct link for commuters travelling between eastern areas such as Pasir Ris and Tampines North, and north-eastern areas such as Punggol and Sengkang.
The construction works for CRL – Punggol Extension are expected to commence by end 2022 and targeted to be completed by 2032.
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