KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — MRT Corp announced today that 47.6 per cent of the Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line of the Klang Valley mass rapid transit project (KVMRT) was completed as at the end of last month.

It also said that a total of RM8.026 billion has been spent, with cost overruns due to variation orders kept to RM184.16 million, or 0.87 per cent of the total RM21 billion in contracts awarded.

“A large part amounting to RM6.655 billion was to our Work Package Contractors for construction work done,” chief executive Datuk Wira Azhar Abdul Hamid told reporters at a progress report presentation.

The remainder of the outlay was RM1.03 billion paid to project delivery partners (PDP),  RM128.4 million for independent consulting engineer fees, RM145.8 million for project supervision and overheads, and RM66.8 for insurance.

The progress of the elevated tracks has been slower, hitting 37.2 per cent as at June 30, 2014, nearing its “late” threshold of 36 per cent complete.

In comparison, the underground tracks are 63.3 per cent finished, nearer to its “early” threshold of 63.8 per cent complete.

Azhar said the most difficult part of the tunnelling works were through the karstic Kuala Lumpur Limestone Formation, and added that it was over.

“In Bukit Bintang, both the upper and lower drives are now tunneling in the more stable Kenny Hill Formation,” said Azhar, explaining that the contractor has managed to minimise the incidence of sinkholes.

A 10-metre deep sinkhole appeared in the city’s Golden Triangle earlier this month, impeding pedestrian traffic.

At the moment, there are five tunnel-boring machines operating along the 9.5 km underground alignment.

For the elevated section, 95 per cent of piling works have been completed and 35 per cent of the guideway has been constructed.

Azhar said the progress of the elevated section is slower because developers have to ensure that no utilities infrastructure such as water pipes and cables are damaged by piling works.

He also stressed that the completion of the line will not be delayed beyond its original deadline of end-2016 despite its concerns over integration issues between it and the proposed third Light Rapid Transit (LRT 3) line, especially in the Bandar Utama area.

“Our concern is basically that we need to undertake a lot of planning before we make any integration… The longer we wait, the more cost we will have to incur,” he said,

Because of that, he said an effective integration is necessary but stressed there would be no delays to the MRT even if the integration he hoped for did not happen.