motion detectors had to be set up to detect any settlement of the NSL tunnels. To facilitate the station's construction, a part of Mount Sophia, the hill above the site, had to be removed. An high sheet pile wall, restrained with ground anchors, supported the unaffected parts of the hill. Another construction difficulty was the irregular shapes and varying sizes of the station's five levels bound by space constraints. This made it difficult to install the site's temporary retaining walls because of the many voids in between the station levels. Circle line (CCL) station The station box for the Circle line (CCL) had been put in place when the NEL station was being constructed. It was planned for Dhoby Ghaut station to be the terminus of a branch of the Marina line (MRL). The MRL was finalised to serve six stations from this station to Stadium station in November 1999. The station became part of CCL Stage 1 (CCL1) when the MRL plans were incorporated into the CCL plans in 2001. On 7 August 2001, the LTA awarded Contract 825 for the design and construction of the CCL station and associated tunnels to a joint venture among Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Woh Hup Pte Ltd and NCC International AB. The S$343.94 million(US$ million in ) contract included building the Bras Basah, Esplanade and Promenade stations. During construction, part of Orchard Road had to be realigned for three months from 10 June 2002. The underpass, linking the NEL and NSL platforms, had to be stabilised while construction works took place underneath. Seven caisson piles were installed to enhance the support of the underpass and capping beams were then constructed to form the supporting system. Along with the other stations on CCL1 and 2, the station began operations on 17 April 2010. Station details Location and name The station is located in the eponymous Dhoby Ghaut along the eastern end of Orchard Road, near the junction of Handy Road and Bras Basah Road. It is on a former Jewish cemetery that was in operation between 1841 and 1983. The station name, Dhoby Ghaut, is a Hindi term referring to the area's past as a traditional Indian open-air laundry (dhoby means "washerman" while ghat means "place or steps along a river"). Landmarks surrounding the station include The Istana, the MacDonald House, the Young Men's Christian Association building, the House of