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Singapore Cross Island Line progress


Skanska wins NY tunnel upgrade US - Major rehabilitation of New York’s East River Tunnel is to start in late 2024 after Amtrak awarded the contract to a Skanska E-J ERT joint venture. Two of the link’s four-tubes require


significant repairs and reconstruction following flooding damage during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The works will demolish existing


systems down to the concrete lining and then restore the two damaged tubes. Works involve spot repair and patching of the liner; reconstruction of the bench walls in a modern high-low configuration; conversion from ballast to a direct fixation track system with integrated drainage; new fire and smoke detection systems; and, new signal, traction power, standpipe and drainage systems. One tube will be closed at a time for the


Above: Slurry TBM for Singapore’s Cross Island Line PHOTO CREDIT: CREG


SINGAPORE - Recent milestones on development of Singapore’s Cross Island Line (CIL) project have included a CREG slurry TBM passing its Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for the CR116 contract on Phase 1, and contract award for Turf City station and tunnels on the CR14 lot on Phase 2. The 7.22m-diameter CREG 1238


slurry machine will be used on CR116 contract, on CIL Phase 1, by a consortium of Soletanche Bachy International, Bachy Soletanche Singapore, Bessac and Gammon. The TBM is approximately 60m


long, weighs 866 tonnes, and is the first double-shell shield CREG has exported to Singapore. It is to be launched and relaunched up to four times during the works so the double-shell shield will facilitate disassembly in the tunnel. The CR116 includes the


construction of Ang Mo Kio interchange station and twin bored tunnels with a total length of 1.2km connecting the future Teck Ghee and Ang Mo Kio interchange Stations. An intermediate launch shaft


for the TBMs will be built between the two stations. To overcome the challenges of launching the TBM in a narrow launch shaft, the pipeline


6 | September 2024


extension gantry has been designed to be deployed in the shaft. The tunnel alignment has a


minimum curve radius of 300m and passes through mainly Bukit Timah granite interspersed with fracture zones. There are also sections of Kallang strata (clay) and old alluvium strata, with water pressure up to four bars. For the CR14 lot, on Phase 2,


Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the contract for the design and construction of Turf City station and tunnels to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co (Singapore)/ Obayashi Corporation Joint Venture. Construction starts in Q3-‘24.


The works will face varying soil conditions, in particular the Bukit Timah granite formation. A prior Phase 2 contract was


awarded to the JV, in late 2022, for the section between Fairways Drive and Sin Ming Walk. CRL is Singapore’s eighth MRT


line, is fully underground, and is being constructed in three phases: Phase 1 is 29km-long with 12 stations and is to finish by 2030; Phase 2 is 15km-long with six stations, to open in 2032; Phase 3 studies are ongoing.


works to minimise disruption to services as the East River Tunnel, opened in 1910, is a lynchpin in the regional rail network. Above ground, the tunnel approaches


will be upgraded, along with equipment. Amtrak has awarded a construction


management contract to a STV Inc/Naik Consulting Group, PC Joint Venture. The project has ongoing support from Jacobs Engineering Group. Finish is due in 2027.


Tunnelling finish on Slovenian rail route SLOVENIA - State development company 2TDK and contractors have completed all 10 tunnels of the Second Track Divača-Koper rail line. The final two tunnels were Lokev and Beka. The 430m of difference in altitude


between Divača on the karst plateau and Koper, at sea level, were the main reasons for 75% of the Second track running in seven tunnels. Works started in September 2021,


with the excavation of the Mlinarji and Škofije tunnels. The karst terrain was a particular unknown, with the Beka tunnel breakthrough taking place in a karst cave. The service tubes, which run parallel to


the three longest tunnels, Lokev, Beka and Škofije, are built in the same cross-section as the main tunnel tubes. This will make 61% of the line ready for future double- tracking. In addition to the 20.5km of rail tunnels,


there are also nearly 17km of service and rescue tunnels - making a total of almost 37.5km of tunnels built on the project.


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