CR115 - Tavistock update Q3 2023

 

21 September 2023 - A view of the road diversion implemented for Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 at
the site of Tavistock station.

Over Q3 2023, road diversions have been put in place at Tavistock station and more machinery has moved in to the site. With works in full swing, diaphragm wall excavation is due to commence in mid-Q4 2023. We take a closer look at the progress made over the past quarter in this post.

The standard island-platform station will be served by 4 exits, numbered in a clockwise fashion. Exits 1 and 4 are located along westbound Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, with Exit 4 being at Tavistock Park and Exit 1 near the junction with the Central Expressway. Exit 1 is likely to serve a bus stop located opposite Block 5022 of Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park. Consequentially, Exits 2 and 3 are located along eastbound Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 with Exit 2 being near the bin centre of the industrial park and Exit 3 at the location of the former petrol station at the junction with Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2.

Orientation of station exits.

July 2023
In early-Q3, a partial road diversion was implemented with the lanes of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 slowly being shifted further north, towards block 5022. The noise barriers along this block had been under construction for some time and were about 2/3 complete. Noise barriers were also being installed around the sites where Exits 1 and 4 would come up. Additionally, at the Exit 4 site, betonite silos were set up ahead of further construction work commencing in earnest.

Further west, next to Teck Ghee Park, was the launch shaft for contract CR115. Diaphragm walling works were still ongoing in order to complete the launch shaft, from which tunnel boring machines (TBMs) would be launched to construct the tunnels towards Ang Mo Kio station.

23 July 2023 - A view from westbound Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, approaching the station site.

23 July 2023 - Betonite silos set up and noise barrier construction ongoing at the Exit 4 site.

23 July 2023 - A view of the lane realignment works.

23 July 2023 - The road diversion is slowly being implemented.

23 July 2023 - The junction with Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2 has been shifted and realigned.

23 July 2023 - Hoarding has gone up around the location of Exit 2.

23 July 2023 - Noise barrier installation in progress for the Exit 1 site.

23 July 2023

23 July 2023 - A view of the ongoing diaphragm wall works for the launch shaft near Teck Ghee
Park along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.

23 July 2023 - The contract site offices and staging area are also located here at Teck Ghee Park.

23 July 2023 - A view of the works taking place within.

23 July 2023 - Ongoing diaphragm wall works.

Tunnel ring segments
In the past quarter, work has also been going on to assemble a mock up of the tunnel using precast ring segments. A ceremony was held to inspect the mock up of the tunnel segments and declare them acceptable for mass production. With the acceptance of the tunnel ring segments after the inspection, full scale production of the segments will begin to ramp up ahead of tunneling works commencing in 2024. Till then, the launch shaft will need to be excavated allowing the manufacturer time to produce a sufficient quantity of the tunnel ring segments before the launch of the TBMs.

Inspection being carried out ahead of the tunnel ring mass production for the contract.
Source: LinkedIn

Inspection of the assembled tunnel rings ahead of mass production.
Source: LinkedIn

September 2023
Towards the end of Q3 2023, the full scale road diversion had been implemented. One of the last vestiges of the original road alignment lay in the bus stop shelter opposite block 5022. Alas, its days were numbered too and towards the end of the month, buses no longer called at the shelter, instead stopping at a temporary shelter built as a replacement along part of the diverted roadway.

Elsewhere, heavy machinery had been brought in to the sites of Exits 3 & 4. At Exit 4, a clamshell grabber stood awaiting the time when diaphragm wall construction would commence. Over at Exit 3, an auger machine was also on site but not yet fully set up. It would be some time still before it would be put to use.

By this time, the noise barriers being assembled in front of block 5022 were nearly complete. Approximately 90% of the building was now blocked (pun intended) by the barriers located along the eastbound lanes of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.

21 September 2023 - A view westwards along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3. The Exit 4 site is on the left.

21 September 2023 - Ongoing work to clear the road side table following the diversion.

21 September 2023 - Another view westwards with the Exit 3 site visible on the right.

21 September 2023 - A view of the Exit 4 work site.

21 September 2023 - A clamshell grabber machine is now on site.

21 September 2023

21 September 2023 - Exit 3 work site with an auger machine on site.

21 September 2023 - Noise barriers in front of block 5022.

21 September 2023 - A view of the diverted roadway in front of block 5022.

21 September 2023 - Noise barriers installed around the Exit 1 work site.

21 September 2023 - The original bus stop shelter was still in use while the replacement
temporary shelter sits along the diverted roadway. Several days later, the temporary shelter was put
into use and the old shelter decommissioned.

With works now in full swing after the site being prepared, diaphragm wall excavation is bound to begin shortly. In a circular issued on the contract's Telegram channel, the contractor informed subscribers of the upcoming construction activity which will begin at the Exit 4 site. Till our next update, stay tuned!

This post will also be available on Instagram & Facebook on 3 November 2023.