IJM wins RM1.12bil LRT3 contract

PETALING JAYA: IJM Corp Bhd has won a RM1.12bil contract by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd for the light rail transit line 3 (LRT3) project from Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya to Johan Setia, Klang in Selangor.

The new construction contract win – the group’s first for 2018 – is expected to boost the group’s outstanding order book to an all-time high of RM9.7bil.

In its announcement to Bursa Malaysia, the construction giant said its wholly owned subsidiary IJM Construction Sdn Bhd had accepted a letter of acceptance from Prasarana yesterday for the underground package of the LRT3 from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia.

Under the contract, IJM would deliver the design, construction and completion of the twin-bored tunnels, a station, ancillary build- ings and other associated works for the underground package for the LRT3.

The project is scheduled to commence this month, with a construction period of 31 months.

IJM’s chief executive officer and managing director Datuk Soam Heng Choon said the group had a solid reputation of delivering high standards of quality and performance in project management, design and construction, as evidenced in its past involvement and completion of various rail projects in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

“This project is a continuation of our involvement in major rail transportation networks in the Klang Valley which encompasses infrastructure for LRT, KTM, mass rapid transit and monorail projects,” Soam said.

“We are proud to be bringing our tunnelling expertise to the construction of the tunnel section for LRT3 – an undertaking that further demonstrates our ability to carry out technically complex and largescale urban infrastructure projects,” Soam said.

IJM noted the newly won contract would require the use of tunnel boring machines to excavate the 2.1-km underground tunnels with an outer diameter of 6.35m, confirming the group’s expertise in large-scale underground tunnelling and strategic complex infrastructure projects.

IJM said the underground package for the LRT3 is expected to contribute positively to the group’s earnings from the financial year ending March 31, 2019 (FY19) to FY21.