SINGAPORE — The completion of the two-lane viaduct from Tampines Expressway (TPE) to the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) will be delayed by two years, to 2022, after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and main contractor agreed to mutually terminate the contract.

The viaduct collapsed last year, killing one worker and injuring 10 others. 

In a press statement on Monday (July 9), the LTA said it had mutually agreed to terminate the contract with Or Kim Peow Contractors (OKP).

A new tender will be called later this month, and the authority plans to award it by the fourth quarter this year.

As a result, the project is now expected to be completed by the first half of 2022, two years later than the original schedule.

The new contractor will be responsible for completing the construction of the viaduct, including the demolition of any structures deemed unsafe, said the LTA. It added that the site will be maintained by LTA’s term contractor until the replacement contractor is appointed.

During the fatal incident in July last year, OKP was carrying out works to cast the decking for the viaduct when a section of the structure collapsed.

Eleven workers from China, India and Bangladesh were working on top of the structure during the incident. Chinese National Chen Yichuan was killed, while the others were taken to Changi General Hospital with injuries.

A few days before the incident, OKP contractors was convicted and fined for separate workplace safety lapses and the death of a worker in 2015.

In May this year, OKP and five individuals involved in the incident were hauled to court for failing to take necessary measures to ensure their employees’ safety and health.

They were also charged with carrying out unauthorised strengthening works to sections of the viaduct without the approval of the Commissioner of Building Control, as well as failing to notify the Commissioner of Building Control of said strengthening works.

The five include OKP’s group managing director Or Toh Wat, project director Yee Chee Keong, project engineer Wong Kiew Hai, CPG Consultants' professional engineer Robert Arianto Tjandra and Leong Sow Hon, an executive with Calibre Consulting Singapore.