J103 - Hong Kah & Corporation update Q1 2024

 

18 March 2024 - A view of Hong Kah station as at end-Q1.

18 March 2024 - A view of Corporation station as at end-Q1.

Contract J103 involves the construction of 2 stations along the Jurong Region Line (JRL) as well as viaducts between them, including the reception tracks connecting to the JRL depot at Tengah. The contract abuts neighbouring contracts J101, J102 & J105. Formerly being built by a joint venture between Wai Fong & Eng Lee, two local contractors, the contract is now solely anchored by Wai Fong. Eng Lee, unfortunately, had underwent liquidation due to its financial position. Nonetheless, remaining contractor Wai Fong has managed to keep the project going while slowly making progress on various fronts.

JS4 - Hong Kah
Hong Kah station is now showing some progress with work taking place at the concourse level of the station. Columns have started appearing at this level to support the platform and under-platform levels directly above. More notably, several viaduct piers can now be seen at various stages of construction directly south of the station in a good show of progress.

10 January 2024 - A view of Hong Kah station in early-Q1, showing the installation of precast
beams to form the concourse slab.

18 February 2024 - A view of Hong Kah station in mid-Q1.

18 March 2024 - A view of Hong Kah station as at end-Q1, showing construction netting at the
concourse level.

26 January 2024 - A side elevation view of the station in early-Q1.

18 March 2024 - A side elevation view in end-Q1, with the concourse level columns clearly seen.

18 February 2024 - A semi-side view of Hong Kah station in mid-Q1.

18 March 2024 - A similar view in end-Q1.

JS5 - Corporation
The second station under the contract is located next to the former Jurong Junior College campus, near Corporation Road. Progress at the station has been heralded by the arrival of the first of JRL's station roofs when a section of roof was delivered on site in mid-Q1. Since then, assembly works have begun to clad the roof with metal awnings and louvres while it is still on the ground. This section will eventually be hoisted into place, supported by arms extending out from the station platforms' trackbeds.

10 January 2024 - A view of Corporation station in early-Q1, with work beginning on the platform
level.

18 February 2024 - A view of the station in mid-Q1, with the first roof section delivered on site.

18 February 2024 - A close up view of the first JRL roof section to be delivered.

18 March 2024 - A view of the station in end-Q1. Supports for the roof section can be seen
already installed at platform level.

18 March 2024 - A close up on the detailing of the roof section

Viaduct construction near the station has also made progress. As the reception tracks will branch off shortly before/after the station, a complex series of viaduct piers has been constructed to allow for the reception tracks to rise above the main line viaduct. A single launch gantry has been busy assembling viaduct spans using the balanced cantilevered method across several of the piers here.

10 January 2024 - Progress of the launch gantry close to the Corporation station in early-Q1.

18 February 2024 - As of mid-Q1, the launch gantry has moved further away, to the east.

18 March 2024 - In end-Q1, the launch gantry is even further away from the station.

The viaduct section further west of the Corporation station also falls under the purview of contract J103, just before the junction with Jurong West Street 23. Over Q1, work has begun on segment launching starting at the junction with Corporation Road & Bulim Avenue. Hanger beams and lifting frames are being used here, again utilising the balance cantilever method of construction.

10 January 2024 - A view of the viaduct piers under construction in early-Q1, west of Corporation
station.

18 February 2024 - Viaduct piers under construction in mid-Q1. The first segments can be seen
already launched near the junction with Corporation Road & Bulim Avenue.

18 March 2024 - A view westwards of the remaining viaduct piers, awaiting viaduct span
construction.

Reception Tracks
The final piece of the contract is the complex junction of reception tracks that serve to connect the depot with the main line viaducts. To do this, the reception track viaducts will need to cross over the main line JRL viaducts and over the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) as well. Segment launching has been progressing slowly but surely over the course of Q1.

It appears that work has been focused on the western set of reception tracks that connect the depot to Corporation station. Work here has been progressing visibly with the completed spans of viaduct growing at each visit. In comparison, the eastern reception tracks appear slightly neglected with viaduct piers missing the vital crosshead structures that will help keep the viaduct spans in place.

10 January 2024 - A view of the western reception tracks near the PIE.

18 February 2024 - A view of the western reception tracks crossing over the PIE in mid-Q1.

18 March 2024 - Progress of the western reception tracks as of end-Q1.

10 January 2024 - A view of the eastern reception tracks en route to Hong Kah station in
early-Q1.

18 February 2024 - A view of the eastern reception tracks in mid-Q1.

18 March 2024 - Not much change apparent, even in end-Q1, for the eastern reception tracks.

With all the development concerning the contract, we hope that Wai Fong keeps up the momentum of work despite now being the sole contractor in charge of the contract. There has been notably good progress over the course of the past quarter and the contractor would do well to keep it up.

This post will be available on Instagram & Facebook on 4 April 2024.