Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has prequalified contractors for the first tranche of civil engineering contracts on a massive US$925m underground expressway, that will be the Lion-State’s most expensive highway.
The project will continue Singapore’s tunnelling love-affair that also includes a deep tunnel sewage collection system which has just started and on-going metro construction on the Changi and North-East lines.
The 9km road link consists of two highways. The Kallang Expressway will be built north of the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE), while the Paya Lebar Expressway will be south of the PIE.
Both sections are expected to be built using a combination of cut and cover and bored tunnelling techniques.
The shortlisted firms include Japanese outfits, Sato Koyo, Penta Ocean Construction, Kumagai Gumi Co and Obayashi. Daewoo and Hyundai Engineering & Construction, both from South Korea, have also made it onto the list together with Dumez-GTM of France, Wayss & Freytag of Germany and Italy’s Impregilo.
Local companies that are expected to bid include SembCorp Construction, Chew Eu Hock Construction, L&M Prestressing, Koh Brothers, Econ Piling and Lum Chang Building.
Based on previous experience, it is likely international firms will joint venture with local partners.
The LTA is hoping construction of the Kallang Expressway can be completed in 2005 while the Paya Lebar Expressway will be opened a year later.
Pre-qualification has also been announced for an international field of contractors for construction of the 5km long Marina Line at a cost of $352m.
The line will run underground from Dhoby Ghaut MRT station to Stadium Boulevard. Split into two contracts, 824 and 825, the work involves extensive cut and cover and bored tunnelling.
Eleven JVs have been shortlisted, eight of which are local-foreign consortia. Construction is scheduled for a 2001 start with completion envisaged by 2005.
