Bright Hill Cast (III)

Structural works continue at the station, entrances and launch shafts. The station should achieve the basic structure by the next quarter.

Bright Hill

Bright Hill Cast (II)

Excavation works have completed at the station, with casting works ongoing for the internal structure & entrances.

Bright Hill site

Bright Hill Cast

Bored tunnelling works for the project were completed 2 weeks back with the docking of TBM 1 at the Upper Thomson Station, completing all 4 TBM drives under the scope of works. Preparations for the T211 tunnelling works extensively involved the challenging construction of 4 staggered launch shafts, 2 STPs, reconstruction of 2 POBs and ground improvement works beneath Block 258 at Ang Mo Kio.

Casting of the concourse slab is largely completed at the station box, with excavation works proceeding down to the platform level at certain zones. Casting of the Cross Island Line tunnels at the north end of the station box are progressing in tandem with the RC works at the concourse level. Backfilling works are underway over the completed north cut and cover tunnel structure.

Bright Hill Station

August Tunnel Progress

The 2km long twin tunnels between Springleaf station and the RTS Facility Building have completed under the T207 project. These are the longest single mainline tunnel drives achieved under the MRT construction since the Circle Line 4 project a decade ago. TBM 2 brokethrough the facility building overnight (Jul 31), while TBM 1 completed the Woodlands bound tunnel on July 9.

Together with the completion of TBM C2 at Springleaf under the T208 project, bored tunnelling works are officially completed under the Civil Team 1 projects. With 4 TBM drives completed in July, 6 TBMs remain between 5XO and Caldecott station under Stage 2 of the line.

Envisaged completion for remaining 6 TBMs under TEL2:
T209 TBM 1/2 - Q4 2017
T211 TBM 1 - Sep 2017
T212 TBM 1 - Q4 2017
T212 TBM 2/3 - Q1 2018

TEL1/2 Tunnel Chart, July 2017

T207: TBM 1 breakthrough at Facility Building on July 9 (Photo: Raju)

Bright Hill Excavation (II)

Excavation works at the station box are ongoing to the platform level, with the concourse slab completed. The Woodlands bound tunnel to Mayflower has presumably been completed by TBM 4, and the remaining 3 TBMs are anticipated to complete by the next quarter.

Ground improvement works at the extracted H-pile foundation of the former POB along Upper Thomson Road

May Tunnel Progress

Tunnelling works for Stage 1 of the line will be completed by next month with the final 100m long Woodlands bound tunnel being driven between LS2 and Woodlands South station. Concurrently, the twin TBMs from Springleaf will breakthrough at the RTS Facility Building, completing the longest mainline drives (2km) under the TEL project.

TEL 1&2 Tunnel Chart, May 2017

T206: Completed Changi Bound tunnel between LS2 and WDS under the second drive of TBM 4

Bright Hill Excavation

Excavation works are in full swing at the station box. RC roof of the north cut and cover tunnel has also been cast. Main drive of the 4 TBMs are progressing and should be completed from the end of Q3 2017 onwards.

Excavation works in full swing at the station box

Piling at Bright Hill (VII)

Bored pile works at the south side of the station are completing as tunnelling works for all 4 TBMs are underway.

Realignment of westbound carriageway over the completed pile zones

Bright Hill - POB launch

The 2 replacement POBs for the project were launched at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Upper Thomson Road in August and September respectively. The new bridges are simply spanned with staircases re-positioned to avoid the tunnel alignments leading up to the Bright Hill station. TBM 2 is progressing on its initial drive to Upper Thomson and the other 3 TBMs are being assembled up in the launch shafts. 

Another realignment of Sin Ming Avenue took place earlier this quarter to facilitate the final stretch of secant bored pile works south of the station box. Excavation and basement RC works have commenced at entrance B.

Realignment of Sin Ming Avenue (west bound carriageway) for final stretch of SBP works

July Tunnel Progress

Tunnelling works are underway along all the projects along stages 1 and 2 of the line, with the first slurry TBM for the T211 project launched at Bright Hill this week. 5 bored tunnels have been completed by the first half of the year and a further 5-8 tunnels are envisaged to complete by year end.

TEL1/2 Tunnel Chart, July 2016

T206 - Launch preparations for the second drive of TBM 4 for reception tunnel 1 at Sembawang Airbase C&C (Photo credits: LTA)

Bright Hill Diverts

Secant bored pile works and excavation continues at the Bright Hill station. The project's first TBM was lowered down the south launch shaft for the woodlands bound tunnel towards Upper Thomson earlier this month. Both STPs are in the midst of construction at the 2 launch shafts.

Traffic realignment of Sin Ming Avenue/Walk implemented end-April 2016

Piling at Bright Hill (VI)

Excavation works at the south launch shafts have commenced. The station roof slab is partially being constructed adjacent to the north cut and cover tunnel, while piling works are ongoing at the entrances and station box.

Excavation at the south launch shafts

Piling at Bright Hill (V)

Piling works for the launch shafts and cut and cover tunnels have completed and the team is preparing for the commencement of excavation. Sin Ming Walk was realigned last month to facilitate the remaining SBP works along the station box. Piling works have also commenced on entrances C and D at the front facade of block 402 and 403.

A secondary storage site has been created beside the site office along the Bishan-AMK park, where 1 of the 4 Kawasaki TBMs for the project have been delivered.

Completed SBP at the north C&C tunnel, casting of capping beam and S1 installation works in preparation for excavation

Boring Machine Collapse at Bright Hill

One of the boring machines at the T211 Bright Hill site collapsed earlier this afternoon. The collapse pierces through a portion of the gate 6 hoarding and protrudes slightly out onto the pavement. No injuries are reported.

Piling at Bright Hill (IV)

Piling together with sewer diversion works continue at the Bright Hill Station.

A&A works for POB between BRH and UTS

The project team has commenced preliminary works for the alternation of the POB along Upper Thomson Road at Windsor Park. A new set of staircase will be built for the bridge, with the former to be demolished to make way for the bored tunnels.

Replacement POB between BRH and MFL

Works for the replacement POB at AMK Avenue 3 are ongoing. No structures have surfaced yet.

Bright Hill Station

Piling at Bright Hill (III)

Piling works continue in full swing at the north and south cut and cover tunnels, in addition to the continual drain diversion works at the Bright Hill Station. Penta Ocean has begun preparatory works for the reconstruction of the Pedestrian Overhead Bridge at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. The new bridge is expected to be up by the end of the year, prior to the TBM launching. The T211 team is also conducting ground improvement works near Thomson View condo for the south tunnel drives to Upper Thomson.

Hoardings erected for the replacement POB at Avenue 3

Piling works at the north C&C tunnel / Drain diversion works

Piling at Bright Hill (II)

Bore pile works continue at the north cut and cover tunnel, with an emphasis on the north launch shaft. The linear formality of the Bauers shows the north face of the shaft being piled at the moment. The north launch shaft should commence excavation by the third quarter. Several drain diversions are also taking place around the junction of Sin Ming Walk/Avenue and the south cut and cover tunnel site.

North Cut & Cover Tunnel

Piling at Bright Hill

Contract T211 has one of the biggest scope of works within the Thomson Line project, having an extensive cut and cover and bored tunnelling works. Aside from constructing the Bright Hill station in an awkward angle beneath the narrow Sin Ming Avenue, both ends of the station will see 3 launch shafts integral within several sections of cut and cover tunnels that stretches the entire site area up to 400m. For ease of interpretation, we have included a diagram indicative of the underground structures that are to be constructed at the site.

Recalling our previous update, works on the temporary sports facility for Bishan Park Secondary School (BPSS) were underway while Penta Ocean was preparing to realign Sin Ming Avenue. The sports facility have since been opened in November and works are underway to demolish the old facility, which sits right above the station box. Sin Ming Avenue has also been realigned closer to the south.

Plan diagram of Bright Hill

Progress Update
As of present no works have started on the ERSS of the station. The site is currently segregated into 2 sections on either ends of the station, where piling works have begun on the cut and cover tunnels and launch shaft. A load test is also being carried out at the site of Entrance B. Based on the process of works being carried out, the north side of the station will be piled first. A subsequent road diversion towards the north should be expected within the next 6 months for the south face to be piled.

Piling works at the north cut and cover site using a Buma casing oscillator C2000G - Buma CE Co Ltd

Tunnelling
Together with T202 and the JIPCT cable tunnel project, Penta Ocean placed a bulk order of 8 slurry TBMs from Kawasaki. 4 of the machines will be supplied for the T211 project, of which twin machines will launch from Sin Ming to Mayflower and Upper Thomson respectively.

The tunnels to Mayflower (MFL) will make a left curvature beneath the Bishan-AMK park, AMK Avenue 3 and go beneath the foundations of block 258 before docking into MFL. Along this tunnel route, the timber piles of the POB at Mayflower Sec are obstructing both tunnels and will have to be extracted. The POB should be demolished within the next few months.

An aerial view of the tunnel route to MFL from the north launch shaft. The said POB to be demolished, as well as block 258 can be distinctively seen along avenue 3 in the left background. Behind which lies the Mayflower Station.

Hoarded up site by T211 along Avenue 4, taken from block 258

Where the twin tunnels will go beneath block 258, essential ground improvement and structure stabilization works will have to be carried out prior to the arrival of the TBMs. In preparations for this, Penta Ocean has recently created a site beside block 258 (picture shown above). Glass prisms and automatic total stations have also been installed by the monitoring contract along the exterior face of block 258 throughout the month of December. Tunnelling works along this stretch are targeted to complete by Q3 next year.

Bright Hill - Once Stacked

Bright Hill station, more commonly known as Sin Ming or 'T7' station during the planning stage of the line, was originally designed to be a stacked interchange with the future Cross Island Line. Along the tunnel alignment to Upper Thomson, 2 escape shafts had been planned to be constructed within Flame Tree Park and Windsor Park due to the semi-stacked configuration of the tunnels.

The original plans were scrapped at the last minute, and the architect rushed out a new set of drawings in May 2013. The twin bored tunnels are now level with each other, omitting the need for the 2 escape shafts as the cross passages can be conventionally constructed by mining. The new design incorporates two provisioned box tunnels at the roof of Bright Hill station for the future Cross Island Line (CRL). The box tunnels are orientated parallel with Sin Ming Walk/Avenue, giving a strong indication that the CRL will head straight into the Central Catchment towards Eng Neo. There will also be a stub tunnel abutting from the Woodlands bound tunnel, believed to be for the sharing of locomotives between the 2 lines.

Progress Update

Under T211, a replacement sports facility is being built for Bishan Park Secondary School as the existing one would be demolished for the station construction. The facility will be ready by November this year. Preparation works are underway for a road diversion too.

T211 Site Office overlooking the Bishan-AMK Park

New sports facility U/C. A temporary bus stop can be seen being delivered on a trailer within the site as well.

Soil investigating Sin Ming

Contract T211 is for the construction of Sin Ming station and two pairs of tunnels - one towards Mayflower in the north and another towards Upper Thomson in the south. Works at Sin Ming station currently involve hoarding works and soil investigation works. The site office for the contract is also coming up quickly, roughly where the future propose Cross Island Line station may be situated. Click here for a look at Sin Ming in February 2013.

Soil Investigation works where the launch shaft and turnout stub will be located

Bishan Park Secondary School where the existing sub-station and basketball court will be demolished