Tang Plaza's basement 1 escalator reopened

The basement 1 escalator at Tang Plaza that has been closed since last year has been reopened today.

The escalator leading up to Crossroads Cafe was undergoing construction works when the basement level was hit by a flood on Sep 12, 2011. This pushed back the original completion date in Dec 2011.

Ir was first believed to be caused by a burst sewage pipe due to the foul smell.

Subsequent investigations revealed a possibility that when the slab was punctured during construction, the high water table caused ground water to spew out.

The area was redesigned so that no further construction would be required to drill through the slab. Six steps were built up in place of the lower section of the escalator.

Engineers who conducted the investigations and also agreed that the sewage smell was caused by the layer of softy peaty clay found in the soil.

The peaty clay was found to contain the presence of decayed wood which resulted in the stench when the underground water overflowed to the surface.

The water samples were sent for laboratory testing to determine the origins.

natlim@sph.com.sg

Tang Plaza reopens basement 1 escalator Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: ST, Tang Plaza)