For discussion PWSC(96-97)103
on 19 February30 January 1997

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 706 - HIGHWAYS
Transport - Roads
694TH - Route 16 from West Kowloon to Sha Tin

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee -

1. to upgrade part of 694TH, entitled "Route 16 from West Kowloon to Sha Tin - investigation" to Category A, at an estimated cost of $15.5 million in money-of-the-day prices, and
2. to retain the remainder of 694TH in Category B.

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PROBLEM
PROPOSAL
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
JUSTIFICATION
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
LAND ACQUISITION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DETAILS OF ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SERVICES TRADING FUND CHARGES
DETAILS OF CONSULTANTS’ FEES

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PROBLEM

The existing road network between Sha Tin and Kowloon is unable to cope with the future traffic demand between the two areas.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Highways, with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to part upgrade part of 694TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $15.5 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices to engage consultants to undertake detailed investigation of a proposed trunk road, called Route 16, from West Kowloon to Sha Tin.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The scope of works for the Route 16 project includes -

1. two sections of twin bore dual three-lane tunnels of 2.6 kilometres and 900 metres in length respectively, between West Kowloon and Sha Tin, including ventilation and lighting systems;
2. a 700 metres long dual two-lane viaduct leading to West Kowloon Expressway at Lai Wan Interchange and slip road connections to Ching Cheung Road and Castle Peak Road;
3. a 700 metres long dual two-lane carriageway leading to Trunk Road T3 and single lane slip roads connected to Che Kung Miu Road at Tai Wai;
4. traffic control and surveillance systems for tunnels, viaduct, mainline and slip roads;
5. a toll plaza with 16 toll booths and buildings for administration, services and ancillary uses; and
6. associated noise mitigation, geotechnical, landscape and drainage works.

4. The part of the project694TH we now propose to upgrade to Category A comprises -

1. consultants’ fees for detailed investigation of Route 16 from West Kowloon to Sha Tin including ecological and environmental impact assessment, drainage impact assessment, traffic impact assessment and hazard assessment and preliminary design for the project; and
2. associated ground investigation.

JUSTIFICATION

5. There are three trunk roads between Sha Tin and the urban area. These trunk roads are already operating above their capacities during peak hours as shown by the volume/capacity (V/C) ratios¹ below -

6. The 1992 Updating of the Second Comprehensive Transport Study (CTS-2) [conducted by the Commissioner for Transportwho?] forecast that the average morning peak V/C ratio of the existing roads between Sha Tin and Kowloon, which include the three trunk roads and Tai Po Road, will still be 1.3 in 2001. Even with the Country Park Section of Route 3 in place, this ratio will still be 1.2 in 2001. As we anticipate that the traffic conditions on these existing roads will continue to deteriorate, it is necessary to provide an alternative north-to-south strategic link between Sha Tin and Kowloon as a relief.

7. The proposed Route 16 will link up Tai Wai in Sha Tin and Lai Chi Kok in West Kowloon. We propose to use consultants to undertake the detailed investigation of the Route 16 project as we do not have the necessary in-house resources.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

8. We estimate the cost of this project at $15.5 million in MOD prices, made up as follows -

9. We will award the consultancy on a lump sum basis with provisions for adjustment due to inflation. This is the normal form of agreement we now use to engage consultants to undertake investigation work. The inflation adjustment will only apply if the consultancy period exceeds 12 months. A breakdown by man-months of the estimate for consultants’ fees is at the Enclosure 2. The consultants will supervise We will carry outthe site investigation works under a contract awarded through normal tendering procedures. to be supervised by the consultants. [please confirm this is correct]

10. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows -

11. The proposed investigations have no recurrent financial implications.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

12. We consider public consultation unnecessary at the project investigation stage. We will consult the relevant District Boards, the Municipal Councils and the Advisory Council on the Environment when we have finalised the preliminary design of the proposed Route 16.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

13. The proposed investigation and preliminary design works will not have any environmental implications. The Director of Environmental Protection vetted the Preliminary Environmental Review (PER) for the proposed route which we completed in February 1996. The PER concluded that an Environmental Impact Assessment and a Hazard Assessment³ are required to assess and identify mitigation measures for the potential environmental impacts and hazards respectively. We shall incorporate the mitigation measures so identified into the detailed design of the project.

LAND ACQUISITION

14. The proposed investigations do not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

15. In January 1996, the Director of Highways established through the Route 16 Engineering Feasibility Study⁴ the engineering feasibility of a dual two-lane road for Route 16. The study however forecast that the morning peak hour flow will exceed the design capacity of 3 600 passenger car units per hour (pcu/h) of the proposed dual two-lane road in 2011 with the average morning peak V/C ratio at 1.21. The Preliminary Project Feasibility Study for Route 16 which we completed in February 1996 using in-house resources confirmed that it is feasible to build Route 16 with a dual three-lane configurationThe consultants of the Route 16 Engineering Feasibility Study checked and verified in February 1996 the preliminary engineering feasibility of a dual three-lane configuration for the proposed road. We therefore propose to proceed with the investigation and preliminary design of a dual three-lane configuration, with a capacity of 5 400 pcu/h for the road to cater for future demand. With the dual three-lane Route 16 in place, we expect the V/C ratio of the proposed Route 16 during the morning peak hours in 2011 will be at 0.92.

16. The scope of works for the Route 16 project will include -

1. two sections of twin bore dual three-lane tunnels of 2.6 kilometres and 0.9 kilometres in length respectively, between West Kowloon and Sha Tin, including ventilation and lighting systems;
2. a 0.7 kilometre long dual two-lane viaduct leading to West Kowloon Expressway at Lai Wan Interchange and slip road connections to Ching Cheung Road and Castle Peak Road;
3. a 0.7 kilometre long dual two-lane carriageway leading to Trunk Road T3 and a single lane slip road connections to Che Kung Miu Road at Tai Wai;
4. traffic control and surveillance systems for tunnels, viaduct, mainline and slip roads;
5. a toll plaza with 16 toll booths, administration, services and ancillary buildings; and
6. associated noise mitigation, geotechnical, landscape and drainage works.

16. We upgraded 694TH to Category B in October 1996. We plan We propose to carry out the detailed investigation and preliminary design of Route 16 from West Kowloon to Sha Tin under an investigation consultancy. to start the investigation works in March 1997 for completion in December 1997. We plan to start the detailed design works in March 1998 for completion in February 2001. We intend to commence construction of Route 16 in mid 2001 for completion in late 2004.

(LL188)

1 -- The capacity here refers to the design capacity of the road. A road with a V/C ratio equal to or less than 1.0 has sufficient capacity to cope with the volume of vehicular traffice, which will flow smoothly. A V/C ratio above 1.0 indicates the onset of congestion. A V/C ratio above 1.2 indicates serious congestion will build up with traffic moving slowly along the road.
2 -- Upon its establishment on 1 August 1996 under the Trading Funds Ordinance, the EMSTF starts charging government departments for design and technical consultancy services for electrical and mechanical installations. The services rendered for this project include checking consultants' submissions on all electrical and mechanical (E&M) installations and providing technical advice to the Government on all E&M works and their impacts on the project. A breakdown of the estimate for the EMSTF charges is at Enclosure 1.
3 -- The proposed Route 16 will pass near the Sha Tin Water Treatment Works. The Hazard Assessment will access the increase in risk to motorists using Route 16 in case there is a leakage of chlorine in the vicinity of the Sha Tin Water Treatment Works.
4 -- We charged the cost of the study of $26.97 million to Head 706 Subhead 6008TX - Consultants' fees and charges and major in-house investigations for highways projects, which has been replaced by Subhead 6100TX - Highways works, studies and investigations for items in Category D of the Public Works Programme since April 1996.

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Enclosure 1 to PWSC(96-97)103

DETAILS OF ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SERVICES TRADING FUND CHARGES

* The EMSTF charges are estimated on the basis of the required professional input which is then calculated based on the average MPS point multiplied by a factor of 2.75 to take account of the associated expenses, staff on-cost, overheads and other Trading Fund expenses.

(LL188)

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Enclosure 2 to PWSC(96-97)103

DETAILS OF CONSULTANTS’ FEES

Breakdown of estimates for consultants’ fees (at August 1996 prices)

Notes

1. A multiplier factor of 3 is applied to the average MPS point to arrive at the full staff costs including the consultant’s overheads and profit, as the staff will be employed in the consultant’s offices. (At 1.4.96, MPS pt. 40 = $55,390 p.m. and MPS pt. 16 = $18,595 p.m.).

2. Out-of-pocket expenses are the actual cost incurred. The consultant is not entitled to any additional payment for overheads profit in respect of these items.

3. The figures given above are based on estimates prepared by the Director of Highways. We will only know the actual man months and actual fees when we have selected the consultant through the usual competitive lump sum fee bid system.

(LL188)

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