SINGAPORE: Tunnel strengthening works on the Circle Line (CCL) have reached the halfway mark, with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) confirming on Tuesday (Feb 10) that the project remains on schedule for completion by April.

The scheduled service disruption, which began on Jan 17 and runs until Apr 19, has seen trains operating on a single platform between Mountbatten, Dakota and Paya Lebar stations. 

LTA has completed the installation of steel plates on all 152 tunnel rings in the inbound tunnel towards HarbourFront station. However, finishing works – including welding, grouting and bolting – as well as testing procedures are still underway.

These tests would confirm that the completed strengthened tunnel is robust and reliable for passenger services, said Mr Saiful Rasno, director of infrastructure enhancement at LTA.

Works on the outbound tunnel towards Dhoby Ghaut station are slated to begin later this month.

Mr Saiful assured commuters that train services will not be affected during this phase. "Commuters can follow the signage to board the shuttle trains from the opposite platform," he said.