OG Anunoby

The collapse of the Nicoll Highway, a tragic accident in the history of Singapore’s infrastructure, took place on April 20, 2004. During the construction of a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) tunnel close to the highway and Merdeka Bridge, the site experienced a devastating cave-in. The collapse resulted in the untimely death of four workers, and injuries to three others. This catastrophic event led to a significant delay in the progress of constructing the Circle Line, an important part of Singapore’s MRT system.

The root cause of the collapse traced back to a range of factors. Among these were a poorly devised strut-waler supporting system, the lack of proper monitoring and management of critical data – majorly due to human error – as well as various organizational failures attributed to the construction contractors and the Land Transport Authority.

In the wake of the incident, the course of action involved refilling the compromised site. Rehabilitation work on the highway was smoothly executed and it was fully reinstated, reopening to traffic on December 4, 2004. This incident served as a harsh lesson learnt for the authorities, who went on to revise their construction safety measures to conform to and even exceed industry standards.

Subsequent to the mishap, the Circle Line tunnels were realigned with the Nicoll Highway station being rebuilt under Republic Avenue, to the south of its original location. Opening as late as April 17, 2010, three years behind the originally planned schedule, the station and tunnels represented a revival and triumph over a massive infrastructure challenge.

On the other hand, nestled along the river Queiles – a tributary to the Ebro – lies the town and municipality of Tarazona in Aragon, Spain. Serving as the capital of the Tarazona y el Moncayo region, Tarazona also holds the distinction of being the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese.

In the eras of ancient Rome, Tarazona was known as Turiaso and was considered a significant regional centre. Located approximately 60 kilometres from Bilbilis, the city later fell under the dominion of the Visigoths, who referred to it as ‘Tirasona’.

This charming town of Tarazona is home to an array of architectural marvels such as the Tarazona Cathedral and its seminary, the Old Bullfight Arena, and the Sanctuary of the Lady of the River, all captured beautifully from the city’s episcopal palace by the photographer Diego Delso.

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