A number of milestones were being celebrated this month for the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – the toll-road section opened, the final TBM drive was due to breakthrough, and a legal decision earlier this year has released funds to help complete the innovative project.

The 3km long, double-deck four-lane highway inside the 9.7km long SMART scheme uses the underground space for road traffic the majority of the time. But when stormwater management is required, the car-only operation will switch to permit water flow in the 11.83m i.d. tube, the decks being cleaned to enable reopening of the highway.

The concept is being prepared for international marketing to cities where it can make a strategic difference to traffic and storm water management.

The Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) scheme was first proposed by the concession partners, Gamuda and MMC, then designed by Mott MacDonald, with local firm Sepakat Setia Perunding handling the hydraulics and flood management.

The 9.7km long tunnel was bored by two 13.2m diameter Herrenknecht Mixshields driving in opposite directions from near the mid-point.

The MMC-Gamuda JV operated the southbound TBM on its 4.1km drive while Wayss & Freytag was subcontracted to excavate the 5.2km long north drive.

However, slow progress and difficulties experienced by Wayss & Freytag with the TBM passing through karst limestone eventually resulted in the termination of its subcontract (T&TI, February 2006, p6).

Completing its drive, Gamuda-MCC JV took over the remaining 2.8km stretch of the north bore and 11 months later is about to hole through.

Last month, a legal ruling overturned the injunction Wayss & Freytag had in place to protect its performance bond. The ruling resulted in US$4.8M being released to complete the north drive. Costs were also awarded to MCC-Gamuda.

The German firm was denied right to appeal and an attempt to lock the bond monies in a trust fund.

Under separate proceedings, the dispute of the actual contract termination is developing towards a suspected multi-year arbitration case.