situations. Downtown line station and further plans (2007–2013) During the NEL station's construction, provisions were made for Chinatown station to link with a future MRT line. In October 1997, it was announced that the station would become the terminus of the proposed Marina Line. In subsequent plans, however, the Chinatown branch was scrapped. The project was scaled down to six stations that would form the first stage of the Circle Line (CCL). On 26 April 2005, Today reported that soil tests were being conducted around Chinatown station, raising speculations of a possible rail link between Chinatown and Marina Bay via a new developing downtown. However, the LTA expressed they had yet to decide whether to build such a line. On 14 June, the LTA announced that Chinatown station would be the terminus of the Downtown Extension (DTE) from Milennia station (now Promenade). The DTE, initially planned to be a branch of the CCL, was revised to be the first stage of the Downtown line (DTL) in 2007. In preparation for the DTL construction, the utilities underneath Cross Street and Upper Cross Street were diverted into a long Common Utility Trench (CUT). The wide and deep CUT, located along Pickering Street and Church Street, was constructed using the cut and cover method. The contract for the CUT construction was awarded to Hwa Seng Builder Pte Ltd on 18 August 2006 for S$6.4 million (US$ million). Contract 909 for the construction of the DTL station and associated tunnels was awarded to Gammon Construction at S$160.3 million (US$ million) in August 2007. On 12 February 2008, the LTA held a ceremony at this station to mark the beginning of the DTL's construction. During the construction, traffic was diverted to Cross Street and Upper Cross Street from March 2007 to the end of June 2008. The area in front of Hong Lim Complex and Chinatown Point had been closed off to build the support wall for the station and tunnels. Subsequently, a section of Upper Cross Street between Yue Hwa Building and Block 34 was realigned from 18 January 2010 until the station's completion in 2013. On 17 January 2013, the then-Minister of Transport Lui Tuck Yew visited the station, where he announced the 2013 Land Transport Master Plan. An open house was held on 7 December 2013, before the DTL station commenced operations on 22 December. The station was the terminus of the