DTL 2, 3 construction on schedule, says LTA

SINGAPORE — Construction of the second and third stages of the Downtown Line (DTL) is progressing on schedule, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) ahead of the opening of stage one of the line at the end of the month.

Downtown Line 2 (DTL2), which has 12 stations and a depot, is currently about 70 per cent complete, while work on the 16 Downtown Line 3 (DTL3) stations is half-complete.

The entire Downtown line is on track to be completed by 2017 and will connect the north-western and eastern parts of Singapore to the Central Business District and Marina Bay.

The construction for DTL2 hit a snag earlier this year, when its main contractor went bankrupt and works that were slated to be completed by 2015 were pushed to mid-2016.

Providing an update, the LTA said several DTL2 stations have achieved Basic Structural Completion (BSC) status, allowing for electrical and mechanical installation works to begin.

These will be completed by the middle of next year, followed by the Integrated System testing, and then the test running of trains.

Tunnelling has been completed in all sectors except those linking King Albert Park Station and Botanic Gardens Station, which are expected to be linked up in the first quarter of next year. The works are expected to be completed by mid-2016 as scheduled.

As for the DTL3, which will link Chinatown to Jalan Besar and Expo, the LTA said station excavation work has started for most of the stations. All 16 stations are expected to achieve BSC status by 2015.

The authority also said the tunnelling works along DTL3 will “present a range of challenges”, as the alignment goes through a built-up corridor with varying ground conditions such as soft marine clay, the Jurong Formation, the Fort Canning boulder bed and old alluvium soils.

Meanwhile, the six Downtown Line 1 (DTL1) Stations — Chinatown, Telok Ayer, Downtown, Bayfront, Promenade and Bugis — will be open to the public this Saturday from 10am to 6pm for a sneak preview of the stations before DTL1 opens for passenger service on Dec 22. Visitors will be able to take unlimited free rides along the line to explore the stations.