The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded another six contracts for the construction of the North-South Corridor, a 21.5km expressway which will connect towns in the north to the city centre.

The contracts, worth a total of $3.14 billion, are for the design and construction of tunnels, along with facilities such as pedestrian overhead bridges and bus stops. The North-South Corridor, which is largely underground, is targeted to be completed in 2026, and features dedicated bus and cycling lanes.

The contracts cover six sections of the corridor, and works are expected to start by the end of next year, the LTA said yesterday. The biggest contract, worth $799 million, was clinched by Lum Chang Building Contractors.

The Singapore firm will design and build a 1.95km-long section of tunnel between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9. Lum Chang Building Contractors has been involved in other transport infrastructure projects, such as the building of the Downtown Line's (DTL) Bukit Panjang station and tunnels.

Another South Korean firm, GS Engineering & Construction, will design and construct a 1km section of tunnel and 1km viaduct, between the East Coast Parkway and Victoria Street. The firm, which constructed the DTL depot, as well as the DTL's Cashew, Hillview and Fort Canning stations, was awarded a contract worth $635.8 million. The construction of the tunnel between Pemimpin Place and Sin Ming Avenue was awarded to a joint venture comprising three local firms: Hwa Seng Builder, Chye Joo Construction and Ho Lee Construction. They were awarded the contract, to build a 0.7km section of tunnel, at $242.9 million. The contract to build a 1.1km section of tunnel between Marymount Lane and Pemimpin Place was awarded to China Railway First Group at a sum of $446 million.