A $285 million contract to turn Caldecott MRT station into an interchange has been awarded to Samsung C&T Corporation.

Samsung C&T Corporation is also involved in the construction of the Expo and Upper Changi stations of Downtown Line 3, and the design and construction of the Marina Coastal Expressway. A $421 million contract to construct Thomson Line tunnels in Woodlands was also awarded to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering.

Caldecott station will connect the future Thomson Line with the Circle Line. Construction of the station and tunnels will start in August and is targeted for completion in 2020.

The interchange will provide easier access to the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, Lighthouse School, Lions Home for The Elders, Mount Alvernia Hospital and MacRitchie Reservoir. Commuters will be able to travel directly between Woodlands and Caldecott stations in 25 minutes. It currently takes 40 minutes to travel along the North-South Line and transfer to the Circle Line at Bishan, said the Land Transport Authority in a statement on Thursday.