MRT'S overall progress reaches 28.55 pct

by **Cals** Thu 07 Nov 2013, 00:56

Business & Markets 2013

Written by Bernama

Wednesday, 06 November 2013 19:22

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 6): The overall progress of the 51km MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line has reached 28.55 per cent, two years after its official launch, with not more than RM4 billion having been paid out to contractors.

Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid, said 80 per cent of the 86 tender packages had been awarded to contractors while the remainder for minor works would be awarded soon.

"We are on track to begin phase one operations between the Sungai Buloh and Semantan Stations by Dec 31, 2016, and for the remainder of the line by July 31, 2017," he said at media briefing for an update on the project here today.

Azhar said land acquisition for the MRT project only cost RM1.5 billion from early estimate of RM3.1 billion.

Like any other major projects, he said, MRT Corp could not avoid issues and challenges to run it.

However, he said, the project was still manageable at the moment.

"Around the same time last year, construction was at a mere three per cent but it is 28.55 per cent today, which means the project has progressed at a very good speed in the past year," he said.

MRT Corp Project Director, Marcus Karakashian, said five tunnel-boring machines were currently in operation to excavate the 9.5km of twin tube tunnels.

"The construction of all seven underground stations are also progressing well," he said, adding that 70 per cent of the overall pilling work for the elevated section has been completed. -- BERNAMA