The contract to build the Sungei Bedok MRT station and its associated tunnels was awarded yesterday to local firm KTC Civil Engineering and Construction for $418 million.

KTC is also involved in the construction of Tampines station on the Downtown Line 3, and Orchard Boulevard station on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL).

The Sungei Bedok station is the last major civil contract for the 13km East Coast stretch of the 43km-long TEL, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

With this contract, LTA "has appointed contractors for all the nine stations of the East Coast stretch of TEL, at a total cost of approximately $2.73 billion", said its chief executive Chew Men Leong. " Works will now be in full swing."

Located in Upper East Coast Road near Bedok Food Centre, the Sungei Bedok station is expected to be completed in 2024, and will be an interchange station connecting the TEL and the Downtown Line.

"This will help redistribute and relieve train loading on the East-West Line, resulting in more comfortable rides for commuters," said the LTA.

The station will also serve as one of seven civil defence shelters on the East Coast stretch of the TEL, joining stations such as Bayshore, Marine Parade and Siglap.

The East Coast stretch of the TEL will be completed in two stages, with the first seven stations from Tanjong Rhu to Bayshore expected to be ready by 2023, while the remaining two stations will be completed the following year.

The 30km-long Thomson stretch of the line, covering 22 stations between Woodlands North and Gardens by the Bay, will open in three stages from 2019 and is expected to be completed by 2021.

Six stations along the stretch, including Woodlands and Orchard stations, will intersect with other MRT lines and serve as interchanges.

Zhaki Abdullah