Tunnelling is scheduled to begin this summer on the US$6bn Kaohsiung metro project in southern Taiwan.
Some 14 contracts are just beginning or being let for the first two lines that are scheduled to be built concurrently. The two lines cover an impressive 42km, the first, the Red Line spans 28km and includes 23 stations whilst the second, the Orange Line will run for 14 km and have 14 stations. Up to 22 TBMs will operate on the project at its peak, and diaphragm wall work for the project’s 22 cut and cover stations is well advanced.
Kaohsiung is an open city with streets 60m wide, giving plenty of room for cut and cover work on underground stations. The 20m deep bored tunnels will run through alluvial, mixed sand and silt, and some clay. Only one section, 1km long, consists of harder limestone. The 5.7m i.d tunnels will have precast concrete segmental lining.
The BOT scheme received substantial US$5.13M funding from central and local government, covering most of the civil engineering costs. Concessionaire Kaohsiung Rapid Transit (KRT) Corporation will put up the money for rolling stock and operating costs. The group comprises lead firm China Steel Corporation and includes contractor RSEA Engineering Corporation, Taiwan Trade Bank and other finance houses and contractors.
Outline design and supervision of the works is by the client, the consultant Sinotech and UK-based quality control consulting engineer, Mott MacDonald.
“The concessionaire is letting contracts as individual design/build projects” chief engineer Gwan-Shyong Wang told T&TI.
The system must be “modern and comfortable” he said, referring to existing metro’s in Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore. For instance, to control air conditioning in Kaohsiung’s semi-tropical climate, it will feature full platform screen doors. Hong Kong’s MRT is operational consultant along with Taipei DOR with Germany’s Siemens acting as systems adviser.
