The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has called for a tender to assess the environmental impact of the Cross Island Line on the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
The tender is to assess the environmental impact of the Cross Island Line on the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
The consultant for the EIA is expected to start working on the project by the second half of this year.
LTA said the EIA team will include experts in hydrology and geology.
The EIA will be conducted in two phases for the various alignment options of the Cross Island Line in and around the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
In phase 1, the consultant will do a baseline evaluation of the existing ecosystem and the physical conditions along the proposed corridors, and assessments of the potential impact to the environment.
The EIA consultant will also propose guidelines and recommend appropriate mitigating measures to carry out soil investigation works with minimal impact to the reserve.
In phase 2, the consultant will provide an assessment of the impact that may result from the construction and operation of the project.
LTA said it has worked with nature and environmental groups to finalise the scope of the EIA for the portion of the Cross Island Line around the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.
The groups are calling for the protection of the forest area and are concerned about the possibility of the Cross Island Line being built through it.
The EIA report is targeted for completion in 2016 and it will assist the government in making a considered decision on the Cross Island Line alignment.
The 50-kilometre Cross Island Line was announced in January 2013 and is slated for completion in 2030.
