Jakarta's 'Belly' Drilled 18 Metres Deep for MRT Monas Station Construction
The construction of the MRT Monas Station is being carried out deep beneath the ground surface. To build the new transportation hub in Central Jakarta, construction work is being executed at depths of over a dozen metres underground, while the inter-station tunnel is being built using a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).
MRT Jakarta’s Director of Construction, Weni Maulina, explained that open excavation is only taking place at the station construction sites, namely Monas Station and Thamrin Station. Meanwhile, the connecting line between the two stations is being worked on using an underground boring method to minimise surface disruption.
“Yes, so the Monas station itself is approximately 220 metres long. Then the depth is roughly at minus… the depth of the train area, the platform, is at minus 15 to 18 metres,” Weni said at the MRT Monas project site on Wednesday.
The excavation area for the station spans about 220 metres in length with a width varying between 22 and 24 metres. Weni assured that the boring does not take place directly beneath the National Monument (Monas). The tunnel route and station area have been designed to avoid the monument’s main structure while preserving the surrounding cultural heritage zone.
“It does not hit underneath the monument,” she stated.
Throughout the underground construction process, MRT Jakarta is implementing various mitigation measures to ensure the safety of the roads above. Ground strengthening and regular surface movement monitoring are being conducted periodically to prevent land subsidence during the excavation process.
“As we build and dig underground, we continue to monitor the area above so that no subsidence or other issues occur. This is part of the responsibility with the implementing contractor, and they have carried out several mitigations, such as taking measurements in the area to be built. They also strengthen the soil to prevent significant ground movement when digging underneath,” Weni added.