MRT2 close to 30% completion, MRT Corp says

SERI KEMBANGAN (Jul 11): Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has announced that the overall progress of the MRT Sungai Buloh Serdang Putrajaya (SSP) Line (MRT2) is now close to 30% as at early July 2018.

In a statement today, MRT2 Project Director Datuk Amiruddin Ma’aris said with the current progress pace the project will be able to move into the next phase of its construction programme as scheduled.

"We have already started the long span viaduct crossover along Jalan Kuala Selangor. While the commencement of track laying works on the main line will start by December 2018,” he said.

”With construction progressing rapidly and on track along the Northern elevated alignment, we are confident to complete the viaduct works in time to achieve this milestone,” he said.

Amiruddin said increased construction works can be seen at the Southern and Putrajaya elevated sections of the MRT2.

He also said the mined tunnel works at the first section of the Southern elevated alignment in Taman Universiti had just begun in June 2018.

Amiruddin said this section, which is going over high ground at the MARDI area, is the only mined tunnel section of the entire 38.7km of elevated tracks.

He said the tunnel consisting of mined tunnel and cut and cover tunnel with a total length of 540m.

”The mined tunnel is a single twin track spanning about 182m. Meanwhile the cut and cover tunnel is a twin cell box structure covering on both sides of the concrete lined tunnel with length about 197m on upstream (east) side and 161 m on the downstream (west) side,” he said.

MRT2 project delivery partner MMC Gamuda KVMRT (PDP SSP) Sdn Bhd Project Director Param Sivalingam said there are three methods for tunnel construction namely the tunnel boring machine (TBM), mined tunnel and cut and cover tunnel.

"We adopted the second and third method for this section as it is a more cost-effective method to construct a shorter tunnel unlike the underground section," he said.

Param also said that the mined tunnel will be constructed using New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) with permanent cast in-situ concrete lining and the entire section is targeted for completion by December 2019.

MRT Corp updated that the project's bored piling works, pile caps and pier heads works are also taking place along the Southern and Putrajaya sections with certain locations such as Equine Park and Cyberjaya already gearing up for Segmental Box Girder (SBG) launching by end of July.

Meanwhile, the project's underground section of the MRT2 is progressing well at 33.3% works completed.

Amiruddin said currently, there are two Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) operating along the underground section from Bandar Malaysia to Chan Sow Lin and six TBMs are scheduled to be launched between October 2018 and November 2018.

"Four of the TBMs will be launched from Titiwangsa with two going towards Sentul and another two towards HKL Crossover. In addition to this, another two TBMs will be launched at Crossover towards Ampang Park," he said.

He added other on-going works taking place are secant bore piling (SBP), construction of diaphragm wall, excavation and reinforced concrete works for station boxes and shaft.

Providing an update on the procurement status for the MRT SSP Line, Amiruddin said to date 48 tenders have been awarded consisting of all civil, stations and systems works packages.

Meanwhile, there are remaining 20 tenders of work packages are still on-going for construction like Multi-Storey Park and Rides (MSPR).

MRT2 is the second line of the Klang Valley MRT Project service which began construction in 2015.

The MRT2 will serve a corridor with a population of 2 million people stretching from Sungai Buloh, to Serdang and ends in Putrajaya.

With a total length of 52.2km, consisting of 38.7km of elevated tracks and 13.5km underground tunnels the line connects 35 stations.

Phase one of the line is set to be launched by July 2021, while the entire line will be fully operational by July 2022. — theedgemarkets.com

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