J108 - Tengah Plantation, Tengah Park & Bukit Batok West update Q3 2023

Stations under contract J108 as on 24 September 2023.

A lot has happened last quarter over at contract J108 which is for the construction of 3 phase two stations at Tengah Plantation, Tengah Park & Bukit Batok West. Also part of the package are viaducts from Tengah Junction, where the line diverges from the western route, up to the interface with contract J109 along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE), south of Bukit Batok town. In order to speed up the updates ahead of the year-end recap that we're in the midst of preparing, we're updating the rest of the line by contract. Head on past the jump for loads of pictures about the progress made over Q3 2023.

JE1 - Tengah Plantation
The exciting thing about Q3 was the opening up of Tengah new town to the public. With home owners in the first 2 precincts receiving their keys, a host of vantage points from which to observe the construction works became available. The station itself had made significant progress over Q3, with the eastern end columns cast and formwork removed to reveal the completed concourse level infrastructure.

Viaduct piers had also made progress with several more beginning crosshead construction and subsequent casting work. The section of viaduct piers between the western side of the station and the contract boundary with contract J102 had also been prepared and were awaiting viaduct span construction.

July 2023 - A view of the viaduct piers along Plantation Crescent.
Image by Amy Khor

15 July 2023 - A view of Tengah Plantation station under construction within Tengah estate, yet
to be opened to the public.

15 July 2023 - A close up view of the station under construction. Several viaduct piers between
the already completed viaduct spans and the station had yet to be completed.

23 July 2023 - A view of Tengah Plantation station in early-Q3.

23 July 2023

23 July 2023 - Viaduct piers beyond Tengah Plantation station visible.

6 August 2023 - Construction beginning on the portal beam over one of the carriageways of
Tengah Plantation Crescent.

6 August 2023 - Another viaduct pier under construction that will support a span over Tengah
Link.

6 August 2023 - Construction about to begin for a viaduct pier crosshead.

6 August 2023 - A completed movement & expansion joint crosshead. This was one of the few
completed viaduct piers as of mid-Q3.

6 August 2023 - The viaduct pier immediately east of the station was still at the pile cap casting
stage, with the column yet to be seen.

6 August 2023 - A view of the Tengah Plantation station building from within Tengah new town.
Work is progressing on constructing the concourse slab and thereafter the concourse level columns
from the east moving westwards.

6 August 2023 - A close up view of the transition columns at the end of the station which will
support the precast segmental box girders forming the viaduct. The track within the station will be
supported by a trough-like trackbed cast as part of the station structure.

6 August 2023 - Portal pier beam construction underway with the installation of rebar.

6 August 2023 - Ongoing construction of the piers so that Tengah Plantation Crescent can allow
through-road connection to Tengah Boulevard at the end of the year.

6 August 2023 - Launch gantry supports awaiting the completion of the subsequent pier so that
viaduct span construction can resume.

6 August 2023 - An aerial view of Tengah Plantation station as seen from Bukit Batok.

6 August 2023 - Viaduct piers under construction past Tengah Plantation station.

9 August 2023 - Concourse level beams under construction at Tengah Plantation station.

9 August 2023 - Works ongoing at Tengah Plantation station.

9 August 2023 - Several station piers where concourse level beams had yet to begin casting work.

9 August 2023 - A close up view of the crossheads that were under construction or had been
recently cast.

9 August 2023 - Viaduct piers further west after the station towards Tengah Junction.

9 August 2023 - A view eastwards along Tengah Plantation Crescent. Tengah Plantation Grange
BTO precinct is on the right.

9 August 2023 - The western end of Tengah Plantation station, less far along than the eastern end.

9 August 2023 - Viaduct piers en route to Tengah Junction and Tengah station.

9 August 2023

9 August 2023

31 August 2023 - Work going on into the night to complete casting of the viaduct piers.

31 August 2023 - Viaduct piers along Tengah Plantation Crescent.

31 August 2023 - Tengah Plantation station at night. Casting of the transition viaduct columns was
completed. The next step would be to cast the platform slab.

31 August 2023 - A view of night time works from street level.

1 September 2023 - A view of the station building with the first viaduct pier immediately east
now showing the initial rebar for the column construction.

1 September 2023 - Casting of the concourse level columns that will support the platform level
and trackbed.

1 September 2023 - Casting of the concourse level beams & slab underway.

1 September 2023 - A view eastwards.

1 September 2023 - Several station columns still without the concourse level beams. Tengah
Plantation Village BTO precinct is visible in the background.

1 September 2023 - A view of the Tengah Plantation station under
construction seen from a block within Tengah Plantation Grange precinct.

1 September 2023 - A view eastwards of the viaduct piers. The viaduct pier with the movement &
expansion joint is the contract boundary with contract J102.

24 September 2023 - A view of the Tengah Plantation station and first viaduct pier immediately
east.

24 September 2023 - Several station piers still had not had the concourse beams cast yet.

24 September 2023 - Completed concourse level columns. Rebar is visible for the subsequent
casting of the trackbed on top of the columns.

24 September 2023 - The viaduct pier after completion of its crosshead. This pier will support an
extended span section as evidenced by a deeper section below the design of a typical box girder.

24 September 2023 - Progress of the portal pier beam construction. Formwork was already in place.

JE2 - Tengah Park
The highlight for construction along this section of the contract in Q3 would definitely have been the lifting of the second launch gantry into place. Shortly after the gantry was erected, commissioning works took place and the gantry put to work. By the end of the quarter, several of the viaduct spans south of the Tengah Park station had been completed.

Viaduct span construction north of the station, however, was still on hiatus. Once the viaduct piers within Tengah new town had been completed, work would likely resume though. Over at the station itself, work had progressed to the casting of the beams linking the columns together at concourse level. After the casting of the beams, it is likely that the casting of the concourse slab would follow suit.

23 July 2023 - An aerial view of the Magnificent Mammoth launch gantry in early-Q3 2023.

23 July 2023 - An aerial view of the station columns undergoing rebar installation.

23 July 2023 - A view from street level showing the installation of the second launch gantry's
support legs.

23 July 2023 - A close up view of the support legs in position on the portal piers that would support
a cripple siding immediately south of the Tengah Park station.

23 July 2023 - An excavation pit for the pile cap of subsequent piers to the south.

23 July 2023 - Progress of pier construction further south.

24 July 2023 - Lifting of the second launch gantry, Rock Steady.
Source: LinkedIn

24 July 2023 - Rock Steady, the second gantry for the contract, now in position.
Source: LinkedIn

24 July 2023 - An aerial view of Rock Steady, now lifted into place.
Source: LinkedIn

24 July 2023 - Rock Steady in place, with Magnificent Mammoth seen further back.
Source: LinkedIn

24 July 2023
Source: LinkedIn

24 July 2023 - Another view of the contract's 2 launch gantries.
Source: LinkedIn

6 August 2023 - Rock Steady, as seen from street level.

6 August 2023 - The station columns visible, with Rock Steady in the distance.

6 August 2023 - An aerial view of Magnificent Mammoth with the columns of Tengah Park station
seen as well.

6 August 2023 - A close up view of the progress of station column casting.

13 August 2023 - A view of Rock Steady, the second launch gantry.

13 August 2023 - Scaffolding had now been installed in between the station columns.

13 August 2023 - Construction netting was also in place.

13 August 2023 - A close up view of Magnificent Mammoth and the station columns.

13 August 2023 - The end columns of the station will be similar to those cast at the end of
Tengah Plantation station as well, aiding in supporting the transition from viaduct span to
integrated station trackbed.

13 August 2023 - A close up view of the construction netting installed.

13 August 2023 - A close up view of the wires that will hold the viaduct segments in place from the
launch gantry.

13 August 2023 - Segment boxes were being positioned underneath the launch gantry.

13 August 2023 - A close up view of the segmental box girder.

13 August 2023

13 August 2023 - Further launch gantry equipment was visible on site.

20 August 2023 - A view of the 2 launch gantries seen from the south.

20 August 2023

31 August 2023 - A view of the station columns in the evening. Stacks of scaffolding to be set up
can be seen nearby.

31 August 2023 - Other station columns with the scaffolding already installed for concourse
beam casting.

31 August 2023 - Rock Steady with the first viaduct span completed and to be lowered into
position.

31 August 2023

31 August 2023

31 August 2023 - Progress of casting for the transition pier columns at the end of the station.

31 August 2023 - Looking northwards at the remainder of the station columns. The slab on the left
will be for the installation of a temporary noise barrier.

10 September 2023 - Viaduct piers under construction to the south for the cripple siding.

10 September 2023 - Rock Steady working on another viaduct span.

10 September 2023 - Station columns visible to the north.

24 September 2023 - A view of the two contract's 2 launch gantries with the station columns
in between.

24 September 2023 - Station transition columns on the northern end.

24 September 2023 - A close up view showing the rebar installation work.

24 September 2023 - Rock Steady working on the third viaduct span since its launch.

24 September 2023

24 September 2023

24 September 2023

24 September 2023

24 September 2023 - Further segmental box girders awaiting the next span's launching works.

24 September 2023 - A view of the progress of station construction works.

24 September 2023 - An aerial view of the station columns with casting of the concourse beams
underway.

JE3 - Bukit Batok West
Q3 2023 was also a time of massive progress for Bukit Batok West station. In the early part of the quarter, it was a struggle to see any signs of the station being constructed. However, by mid-quarter and end-quarter, the station's structure could be seen without too much effort. Also within the past quarter, the access ramp for the pedestrian overhead bridge was closed off with a temporary ramp constructed as an alternative access point. The original ramp and staircase would eventually be demolished to make way for viaduct and station construction.

On the viaduct pier front, the first pier along the PIE began taking shape in mid-Q3. Several more would need to follow before viaduct span launching could begin. However, the single pier would be an important one as it denotes the contract boundary with neighbouring contract J109. Contract J109's joint venture would eventually need to acquire possession of the pier so that they could construct their portion of the viaduct span to link the viaduct to their section of track.

15 July 2023 - An aerial view looking westwards at the contract J108 site. No viaduct piers can be
seen as yet.

15 July 2023 - An aerial view westwards of the station site, located after the pedestrian overhead
bridge.

15 July 2023 - An aerial view westwards.

23 July 2023 - An aerial view of the Bukit Batok West station site.

23 July 2023 - A close up view showing the equipment on site.

23 July 2023 - A close up view of the station site for Bukit Batok West with not much to be seen
structure-wise.

23 July 2023 - A view eastwards from Bukit Batok Road of the station site.

6 August 2023 - An aerial view of the station site in mid-Q3.

6 August 2023 - A close up view of the station site.

20 August 2023 - Rebar installation ongoing for the first viaduct pier of the contract along the PIE.

20 August 2023 - A close up view showing the the crown level being formed. This pier will support
a movement & expansion joint crosshead which will be the contract boundary with contract J109
to the east.

20 August 2023 - The first signs of the Bukit Batok West station structure coming to life.

20 August 2023 - Several station columns visible from the pedestrian overhead bridge.

20 August 2023 - A view eastwards from the existing pedestrian overhead bridge before its closure
in end-Q3. The alternative access ramp can be seen on the right.

20 August 2023 - A view eastwards with the contract J109 piers visible. The first pier for contract
J108 along the PIE can be seen shrouded in blue on the left of the crane.

27 August 2023 - A view of the station work site from the PIE entry slip road.

27 August 2023 - Sheet piles in place for columns along the Tengah-bound side of the station.
Behind the excavator, station columns and their footings can be seen.

27 August 2023 - A few more station columns visible.

27 August 2023

27 August 2023 - The first viaduct pier under construction, shrouded in blue and green netting.

16 September 2023 - A view of the station construction site as seen from Bukit Batok Road.
Sheet piles are in place for viaduct pier construction.

24 September 2023 - A view eastwards from the alternate access ramp.

24 September 2023 - Scaffolding & form work going in for crosshead casting.

24 September 2023 - A view of the first contract J108 pier in this section.

24 September 2023 - A close up view of the pier with the main column complete up to crown level.
Crosshead casting is the next step.

24 September 2023 - A view of progress at the station columns.

24 September 2023 - The station columns visible clearly now.

24 September 2023 - A close up of work on the station columns.

Q3 has been a great one for contractors John Holland & McConnell Dowell over at contract J108. Work is progressing visibly with the installation of the contract's second launch gantry and the structure for all stations under their charge now visible. Viaduct pier construction is also making progress with several viaduct spans installed. Do stay tuned as we wrap up our Q3 updates and then progress to the year-end update to recap this eventful year. Stay tuned for more updates to come!

This post will also be available on Instagram & Facebook.