Construction of Ang Mo Kio station on Cross Island Line to start in Q4
An artist's impression of the Ang Mo Kio station platform along the Cross Island Line. (Image: LTA)
SINGAPORE: Construction on the Ang Mo Kio interchange MRT station on the Cross Island Line is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2021, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Tuesday (Jul 20).
Passenger service is projected to start in 2030, it added. When completed, the station will be an interchange between the Cross Island Line and North-South Line.
It will have entrances that connect directly to different residential blocks, AMK Hub, Ang Mo Kio Integrated Transport Hub and Ang Mo Kio Town Garden East.
Two of the new entrances will be connected to the station via underpasses across Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8.
With the new Cross Island Line station, commuters can expect to save 70 minutes of travel time from Ang Mo Kio to Aviation Park, bringing it down to 35 minutes, according to LTA.
Travel time between Pasir Ris and Ang Mo Kio is also expected to be reduced to 25 minutes from the current one hour.
CHALLENGING GROUND CONDITIONS
Ang Mo Kio station on the Cross Island Line will be an underground station located next to the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, said LTA.
As the station will be located close to the North-South Line viaduct and surrounding structures, LTA and the contractor will closely monitor the project's progress.
It added that it will ensure all works are carried out safely and with "minimal impact" to existing structures.
The agency said deep excavation works for the station will be carried out under "challenging ground conditions", as the rock is typically weaker at the transition point between "old alluvium", a predominantly soil-like material, and Bukit Timah granite formation.
"This requires the use of specially-designed machinery to carry out the excavation works safely," said LTA.
READ: Construction on Pasir Ris interchange MRT station along Cross Island Line to start in Q4
Addition and alteration works will also be carried out to retrofit the existing Ang Mo Kio station with additional escalators, as well as reconfiguring its concourse area.
"(This is) to facilitate seamless transfer and enhance connectivity for commuters at the station," said LTA.
To minimise inconvenience to commuters, LTA will coordinate with SMRT to carry out the majority of the addition and alternation works during non-operating hours.
A S$644 million contract for the design and construction of Ang Mo Kio station and tunnels has been awarded to a joint venture between Bachy Soletanche Singapore and Gammon Construction and Engineering.
According to LTA, both companies are currently involved in infrastructure and building projects in Singapore.
READ: Hougang MRT station on Cross Island Line to start construction in Q4
Gammon Construction and Engineering has a "strong track record of undertaking infrastructure and building projects locally and abroad", said LTA. In Singapore, it is currently involved in the construction of Havelock station and Mayflower station along the Thomson-East Coast Line.
The company was previously involved in the construction of Chinatown station along the Downtown Line.
Bachy Soletanche Singapore is also currently involved in the design and construction of the tunnel between Suffolk Walk in Newton and Novena Rise for the North-South Corridor. It is also involved in Thomson-East Coast Line projects such as Tanjong Rhu, Gardens by the Bay and Orchard stations.
FIRST PHASE OF CROSS ISLAND LINE
The first phase of the Cross Island Line will run from Aviation Park to Bright Hill. It will be 29km long and comprise 12 stations.
READ: Cross Island Line - A closer look at the first 12 stations
The line will serve residential areas in Loyang, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Defu, Hougang, Serangoon North and Ang Mo Kio, and will benefit more than 100,000 households, said LTA.
Common recreational spaces such as Changi Beach Park and Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will be more accessible by public transport.
Studies on the details of later Cross Island Line phases are ongoing, said LTA.
The Cross Island Line is Singapore's eighth MRT line. It will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, north-eastern and western corridors.
The line will also link major hubs such as the Jurong Lake District, Punggol Digital District and Changi Region.
"The CRL will have almost half of its stations as interchanges with other rail lines, making it easier and more convenient for commuters to travel across the rail network," said LTA.
