Jurong Region Line Construction: JRL2 year-end update 2023

The 7 stations along JRL Phase 2, Contract J101's Tengah Depot, Contract J102's in-fill station &
the Contract J120 viaduct as at end 2023.

2023 has been a big year for the contracts under Phase 2 of the Jurong Region Line (JRL) as well as Contract J101 for Tengah Depot and Contract J102's in-fill station at the Forest Hill district of Tengah. Both of the latter fall under Phase 1 of the line but due to space constraints on Instagram, we could only cover the 10 main station under our Phase 1 year-end recap. Hence, these 2 sections are lumped in together with the Phase 2 update.

Nonetheless, structures have emerged across all Phase 2 stations. Contract J108 is the most advanced, being one of the two contracts to have commenced viaduct span construction work, the other being Contract J120. Contract J109, the last remaining contract in Phase 2 involving viaduct span construction, should be due to begin this phase of work shortly as well. With 10 different sites being covered in this recap, a photo-heavy warning is in effect.

Tengah Depot [Contract J101]
The Tengah Depot site has been transformed over the past year from a barren landscape into a busy site with buildings beginning to emerge. This is important as the first of the JRL trains are expected to be received in 2025, a mere 2 years away. The facilities would need to be ready by then to support the arrival of the trains and begin the process of testing & commissioning them for use ahead of revenue service. As these are brand new trains, systems testing will take a while longer as the entire communications & signaling systems are brought through their paces and the bugs worked out.

But back to Tengah Depot. The site has shown major progress with the columns for the buildings at the back of the depot becoming more and more numerous through the year. Buildings that have sprung up at the front of the depot include what is likely to be a power substation and an admin building. The reception track ramp into the depot has also been taking shape and one can clearly see where the trains will enter the depot now. In the coming year, we anticipate that the track bed will become more obvious as works ramp up to allow the trackworks contractor to come in and begin laying tracks within the depot areas. The stabling and maintenance buildings should also be much closer to completion by then.

12 February 2023

8 April 2023

15 June 2023

23 July 2023

31 August 2023

16 September 2023

12 October 2023

18 November 2023

23 December 2023

JS2A - Forest Hill in-fill station [Contract J102]
The in-fill station under contract J102, which we refer to as Forest Hill after the district in which it is located, has made major progress over the year. The station structure can be seen where the trackbeds were cast as it passes through the provisional structure. In the later part of the year, launch gantry Mulan was shifted from Tengah Junction over here, having completed launching of the viaduct segments for the eastern route up to the contract boundary.

By the end of the year, Mulan had completed launching several spans towards the Forest Hill station. In the coming year, we expect that Mulan would continue working along this stretch to complete the viaduct spans within the first half of the year.

Casting of the special crossing column crossheads has been underway, west of Brickland Road. On boxing day, the formwork began to be taken apart to reveal the completed single cell crosshead which will be used to support the viaduct across Brickland Road and the canal nearby. The other support is located along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3, after the road crosses the canal, which necessitated larger piers and a longer span.

2 January 2023

16 April 2023

2 June 2023

23 July 2023

9 August 2023

10 September 2023

24 September 2023

12 October 2023

18 November 2023

23 December 2023

26 December 2023

JE1 - Tengah Plantation [Contract J108]
The opening up of Tengah new town this year presented opportunities to get up close & personal with Tengah Plantation station. It has been a race against time for the station to complete works substantially to allow the thoroughfare below, Plantation Crescent, to be opened to traffic. Before the roadway opened on 24 December 2023, the construction work severely choked transit access within the new town with residential precincts devoid of bus routes near their blocks.

As work on the station had reached a stage where the roadway could be partially opened below, traffic was allowed to flow through, greatly improving the residents transit access. Work is now underway on constructing the station's platform level and is progressing at a rather brisk pace. We look forward to the milestones to be achieved in 2024, which will undoubtedly see the station's roof being installed.

2 January 2023

5 February 2023

16 April 2023

7 May 2023

15 July 2023

6 August 2023

9 August 2023

1 September 2023

12 October 2023

22 October 2023

11 November 2023

16 December 2023

17 December 2023

JE2 - Tengah Park [Contract J108]
Tengah Park station has been blessed with several vantage points nearby, allowing us to have a close look at the station as it began to rise up over the past year. At the beginning of the year, only the footings for the station columns were visible. However by the year's end, the concourse level was being constructed.

This site was also the location of the first viaduct spans for the JRL commencing construction with launch gantry Magnificent Mammoth having the honours. The gantry was joined by sister gantry Rock Steady, which has been hard at work since mid-year lifting viaduct segments south of the station. Both gantries have since completed a significant number of spans and the viaduct can be seen clearly as one passes along Bukit Batok Road.

2 January 2023

16 April 2023

7 May 2023

2 June 2023

15 June 2023

29 June 2023

15 July 2023

6 August 2023

13 August 2023

10 September 2023

24 September 2023

12 October 2023

11 November 2023

26 November 2023

17 December 2023

JE3 - Bukit Batok West [Contract J108]
The slowest of the three station under contract J108, Bukit Batok West has seen an uptick in progress towards the later part of the year. While the preceding two stations had structures visible for some time, Bukit Batok West has only joined the foray in Q3 this year. Station columns and footings for the Pandan Reservoir half of the station began to emerge, marking some progress for the station's construction.

Further afield, the first column near the contract boundary also began to take shape. With the crosshead cast, the viaduct pier is now ready for viaduct span construction works to commence. We look forward to more piers being constructed and completed over the next year, to allow for viaduct span construction works to proceed.

2 January 2023

12 February 2023

17 December 2023

25 February 2023

16 April 2023

15 July 2023

6 August 2023

20 August 2023

16 September 2023

24 September 2023

12 October 2023

29 October 2023

25 November 2023

17 December 2023

JE4 - Toh Guan [Contract J109]
Toh Guan station seems to want to make the near impossible happen by siting a station between the existing North-South Line (NSL) and existing residential blocks. It has been a tricky job to construct the station while maintaining traffic flow and minimising disturbances to the residents. Over the year, foundation works have been carried out for the station's columns and towards the year's end, the base of the columns could start to be seen.

In 2024, we expect that the work on the columns will continue and that concrete pouring will take place. We expect that the station should be built up to the concourse level minimally, over the next year.

2 January 2023

16 April 2023

7 May 2023

25 June 2023

31 August 2023

29 October 2023

25 November 2023

24 December 2023

JE5 - Jurong East [Contract J110]
The construction of Jurong East station is a huge undertaking, and a complex one at that. Featuring four levels and a cross-platform transfer as well as a linkbridge transfer across existing live tracks, the task is as gargantuan as can be. Nonetheless, progress has been made at the station with the columns coming up to support the station's expansion. Casting is still under way, with the concrete pouring moving from the western end to the east.

In the coming year, expect that the concourse level will also begin to progressively take shape as casting of the ground level columns moves eastwards. At the moment, the linkbridge transfer area does not have much to show but work should begin to become apparent in the new year as well.

14 January 2023

25 February 2023

12 March 2023

25 June 2023

6 August 2023

29 October 2023

25 November 2023

26 December 2023

JE6 - Jurong Town Hall [Contract J109]
2023 saw the arrival of the contract's launch gantry at the station site. With work underway at the station on the concourse level, the gantry should be put into use in the coming year. There currently are no completed viaduct piers that would be able to support the launch gantry yet. Until these piers and their crossheads are completed, the launch gantry is likely to lie dormant on site. At best, the gantry will be put to use in Q1 of the coming year, if not much later after works on the viaduct piers have been completed.

9 January 2023

25 February 2023

30 July 2023

20 August 2023

1 September 2023

24 September 2023

8 October 2023

29 October 2023

12 November 2023

26 November 2023

26 December 2023

JE7 - Pandan Reservoir [Contract J109]
It always seems that the third station is the laggard when it comes to Phase 2. Similar to contract J108, the third station of contract J109 also has not made very much apparent progress. A road diversion was put into effect this year to help with the construction of the station by freeing up more space. However, progress is still very much limited to the station's foundation and underfloor structure.

9 January 2023

1 September 2023

12 November 2023

26 December 2023

16 April 2023

24 September 2023

8 October 2023

26 November 2023

Viaduct through Jurong East Integrated Transport Hub [Contract J120]
One of the last portions that is key to Phase 2 would be the integrated transport hub being built at Jurong East. Part of the viaduct passes through the building, hence the contract is responsible for building this section of viaduct which will run through the future building. Works have been taking place for the construction of an additional pier and the viaduct spans will be cast in-situ (in place) atop the piers. The formwork has been assembled for the first pier of viaduct spans but we do not believe that concrete pouring has occurred yet.

9 January 2023

7 May 2023

25 June 2023

15 July 2023

6 August 2023

16 August 2023

29 October 2023

2 November 2023

25 November 2023

24 December 2023

2024 will undoubtedly be an interesting year for Phase 2 of the JRL. We look forward to new structures emerging and presenting us an opportunity to visualise how the future line will look like. Till then, stay tuned for our next update.

This post is also be available on Instagram & Facebook.

Jurong Region Line Construction

Thursday, December 28, 2023

JRL2 year-end update 2023

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