Government okays building of $12b Downtown Line

Singapore has approved the expansion of its existing MRT network for $12 billion (US$7.9 billion), the government said on Friday.

The 40-km Downtown Line — the fifth in Singapore’s metro network — will be built in three stages and completed by 2018, said Singapore’s Land Transport Authority in a statement.

Construction for the first stage of the project will begin at the end of this year and may be completed by 2013.

SMRT and ComfortDelGro operate the three existing lines in Singapore’s urban rail network.The fourth line is still under construction and will operate from 2010.