Circle Line tunnel works set to finish early by April 10, final prep for stage 6 opening begins
Regular train services on the Circle Line will resume on April 10, nine days earlier than planned, as reinforcement works on a stretch of twin tunnels can be completed ahead of schedule.A massive, round-the-clock project to install steel plates along a segment of tunnels between Paya Lebar and Stadium MRT stations has been ongoing since Jan 17.«As the teams involved gained familiarity with the complex work processes, they achieved some time savings, especially during the latter phases of works,» said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and train operator SMRT on Thursday (March 26).With the help of robotics, workers have finished installing all the steel plates needed to strengthen the stretch of tunnels that are most affected by an issue called tunnel squatting.This refers to when underground tunnels built in soft soil, such as marine clay, become deformed when the soil above compresses.