LTA awards second contract for JB – Singapore RTS Link project

SOUTHEAST ASIA CONSTRUCTION29 Jan 2021

Artist’s impression of the RTS Link viaduct.

Location of the RTS Link viaduct and tunnels.

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the second civil contract for the construction of Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link to China Communications Construction Company Limited (Singapore Branch). Totalling around S$180 million, the contract covers the construction of the RTS Link viaduct and tunnels in Singapore.

According to LTA, the viaduct will stand above the Straits of Johor within Singapore’s territory at a height of 25 m. It will then continue inland and transition to underground tunnels connecting to the RTS Link Woodlands North station.

China Communications Construction Company Limited (Singapore Branch) has 15 years of experience in infrastructure construction, specialising in large-scale rail, road and bridge projects, said LTA. The contractor has previously completed rail projects in other countries such as China and Kenya. It is also currently constructing the Boon Lay station on the Jurong Region Line in Singapore.

Construction for the RTS Link viaduct and tunnels is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2021. The first civil contract to construct the RTS Link Woodlands North station, tunnels and the Customs, Immigration, and Quarantine (CIQ) building in Singapore, was awarded on 26 November 2020. The RTS Link is scheduled to commence passenger service at the end of 2026.

The RTS Link is a 4-km rail shuttle service between the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station and the Malaysia terminus at Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru. It has a large capacity of 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction, with a journey time of about five minutes between the two stations.

The CIQ facilities will be co-located at Woodlands North and Bukit Chagar stations, so that passengers will only be required to clear both Singapore and Malaysia immigration authorities once, at the point of departure. Upon arrival in Singapore, passengers can seamlessly continue their journey by transferring to the Thomson-East Coast Line, which is adjacent to the RTS Link Woodlands North station. When operations commence, the RTS Link will significantly improve connectivity between Singapore and Johor Bahru and ease congestion along the Causeway.

Images: LTA

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