Cost of Circle Line could go up by less than 10%: LTA
WITH Indonesia’s ban on sand exports and tougher design requirements since the 2004 Nicoll Highway collapse, the overall price tag for the upcoming Circle Line (CCL) MRT (picture) will go up.
But the increase is likely to stay below 10 per cent, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Friday, as it downplayed any fears of significantly busting its estimated $6.8 billion budget.
“I wouldn’t say (the increase is) substantial … it may be a big figure, but I think the figure is something we can manage,” deputy chief executive (Infrastructure and Development) Lim Bok Ngam told reporters.
This is the LTA’s first update on the CCL — which links all MRT lines in the city — since the sand ban started in January. A section of the line may open as early as 2010.
With more than half the project completed before the ban, Mr Lim noted that while materials prices may be higher, they have “come down substantially”.
The statutory board will compensate its contractors three-quarters of cost increments, the maximum limit of the Government’s pledge to bear higher construction costs due to the ban.
Meanwhile, the extra costs of more stringent design and engineering requirements have yet to be worked out, Mr Lim said. These include thicker retaining walls than those that failed at the Nicoll Highway station.
The CCL is being built in five stages and is already about 65 per cent complete, a rate Mr Lim is “satisfied” with. All five stages are in full swing, with excavation works underway at the Holland Village, Buona Vista, West Coast, Pasir Panjang and Labrador Park sites.
Structures for 14 of the 29 underground stations are up and have moved on to the next phase of architectural, electrical and mechanical works.
These stations, which include Dhoby Ghaut and Bras Basah, are likely to be done by early next year.
Steps have been taken to lessen the inconveniences caused by the works, said the LTA. About half of the roads diverted are slated to return to their original alignments by next year-end. Barriers are in place to reduce the noise in housing areas.
This report card on the CCL progress comes a month after media reports of contractor woes and stopwork orders due to sinking ground.
Last month, tunnelling works were halted at the Telok Blangah site — the fourth instance this year — after a 7-m stretch of two lanes reportedly sank 20cm. Such ground movements are expected but measures are taken, the LTA said.
Mr Lim was also asked about the dispute with Swedish contractor NCC International, which the LTA said had failed to fulfil its contractual obligations involving work on the MacPherson and Tai Seng stations.
Mr Lim said the LTA planned to exercise its rights “as part of the contract provision”.
While the NCC has completed much of its designated work, a “few small contracts” will be awarded to third-party contractors over the next few weeks.
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