Approval for 13 km automated line for opening 2004 from People's Park on new North East line via Marina Bay to Dhoby Ghaut interchange with North East and North-South lines. Nov 1998.   Engineering feasibility studies underway for S$1.75 billion, 14 km line with up to 20 stations on which construction scheduled to start year 2000. Will be developed later as an orbital route around the city centre. Sept 1999.   E-shaped S$1.8 billion Marina line is to be built in phases, starting with the central arm from Dhoby Ghaut to Marina Centre. This will be followed by the western route to Chinatown and then the eastern branch to National Stadium. December 1999.   Bids for contract to coordinate consultancy services closed. Lowest bid Hyder Consulting PTE Ltd at $2.15 million. Highest bid Mouchel Consulting Int Ltd at $9.23 million. Average bid $3.7 million. Concern has been expressed in Singapore at the ridiculously low levels of bidding on tunnelling contracts, particularly by the Koreans. Contact www.hyder-com.co.uk March 2000.On Friday 11th August the Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) released details of prequalification of contractors for upcoming major underground works. Eighteen groups of companies have been shortlisted to tender for six civil contracts to be awarded by LTA: two of these contracts are for the Marina Line and four for the Kallang and Paya Lebar Expressways, for which the total value is estimated at US$800 million. Click here for the full announcement. 5.4 km Marina Line with six underground stations from Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station, below Bras Basah Road to Marina Centre, and then below Nicoll Highway to Stadium Boulevard to start construction end-2001 for completion 2006. E&M systems contract awarded to consortium of Alstom Transport SA, Alstom Transport (S) Pte Ltd and Singapore Technologies Electronics Ltd, value S$282 million, for design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of electrical and mechanical systems. W H Architects won the first prize for the designs of both the Museum and Boulevard stations. More from www.lta.gov.sg 05/01. Bids for LTA C824 project announced as follows: Nishimatsu-Lum Chang jv S$275,662,468; Impregilo-Hua Kok jv S$343,366,000; Samsung S$345,179,600; Kumagai Gumi-SembCorp jv S$362,690,000; Obayashi-McConnell Dowell jv S$403,000,000; W&F-Econ-Chew Eu Hock jv S$447,780,000. Winning bid was S$67,703,000 below engineer's estimate. S$1.75 = US$1.00. Bids for second stage C825 close 26th March, 2001. Visit www.lta.gov.sg/projects and www.gov.sg/gitis/ 11/01. Singapore Marina Line contract 825 involves a bored metro down Bras Basah Road past the Museum, Raffles and Chijmes, with four stations at Dhoby Ghaut, Museum, Convention and Millennia, with cut and cover at each end. Ground conditions range from Jurong to Boulder Clay to OA and soft Kallang, through some of the most prestigious real estate on the island. Bids were solicited as a single lot, or split into two lots: A - two central stations plus bored tunnels; and B - two outer stations plus C+C tunnels. The following bids have been notified in millions of Singapore dollars: Wohhup/Shanghai - 348.2, A 202.3, B 186. Samsung/Econ - 359.2, A 210.5, B 162.9.Dumez/Chew Eu Hook - 387.1, A 259.6, B 185.5. Penta Ocean - 890, A 560, B330. The huge difference between high and low bids has not been explained. However, our correspondents based in Singapore maintain that Penta Ocean priced faithfully and made a good technical submission. Visit www.lta.gov.sg/projects Time will tell….18/01.Contract C824 awarded in May to Nishimatsu Construction and Lum Chang Building Contractors. Contract C825 awarded to NCC, Woh Hup Construction of Singapore and Shanghai Tunnelling Engineering Company of China, value $193 million, for design/construct of Marina Line section with two parallel 1.5 km-long tunnels to be bored in soft soil, a 700 m cut-and-cover portion, and four underground stations at Millenia, Convention Centre, Museum and Dhoby Ghaut. Design phase starting now. Overall completion scheduled in 2005. Visit www.lta.gov.sg/projects 42/01.