For discussion PWSC(96-97)72
on 4 December 1996

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 707 - NEW TOWNS AND URBAN AREA DEVELOPMENT
New Territories West Development
(Transport - Roads)
182TH - Flyover across Castle Peak Road at Sha Tsui Road

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 182TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $274.1 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of a flyover and a footbridge across Castle Peak Road at Sha Tsui Road and the associated road works.

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PROBLEM
PROPOSAL
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
JUSTIFICATION
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
LAND ACQUISITION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
182TH - Flyover across Castle Peak Road at Sha Tsui Road

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PROBLEM

There is traffic congestion at the junction of Tsuen King Circuit and Castle Peak Road as traffic volume is approaching the maximum capacity of the junction.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Territory Development, with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade 182TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $274.1 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of a flyover and a footbridge across Castle Peak Road at Sha Tsui Road and the associated road works.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The scope of the project comprises the construction of -

1. a flyover across Castle Peak Road at Sha Tsui Road and associated retaining walls;
2. a footbridge across Castle Peak Road;
3. noise barriers, road covers and indirect noise mitigation measures;
4. about 70 metres of road extension linking the northern end of the flyover with Tsuen King Circuit; and
5. associated road, drainage and landscaping works.

JUSTIFICATION

4. In 1983, we completed a transport study for Tsuen Wan to formulate a strategy for the phased introduction of comprehensive road improvements in Tsuen Wan. The study identified the long term need to provide a two-way traffic flyover across Castle Peak Road connecting the cul-de-sac end of Tsuen King Circuit with Sha Tsui Road.

5. The area around Tsuen King Circuit is a densely populated residential area with a number of private housing estates and with the Tsuen Wan Adventist Hospital nearby. At present, all traffic to and from this area flows through the junction of Castle Peak Road and the eastern end of Tsuen King Circuit. The traffic volume is approaching the maximum capacity of the junction. The proposed flyover across Castle Peak Road at Sha Tsui Road will relieve the traffic congestion at the existing junction. Upon completion, the proposed flyover will provide an additional vehicular access to the area and serve as an emergency relief route if there is a blockage of the existing access.

6. At present, there is an at-grade pedestrian crossing at the busy junction of Castle Peak Road with Sha Tsui Road. The proposed footbridge which will replace the existing at-grade pedestrian crossing will provide a safe grade-separated crossing for pedestrians to reach Tsuen Wan Town Centre.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

7. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $274.1 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 8 below), made up as follows -

A breakdown by man months of the consultants’ fees is at the Enclosure.

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

9. We have derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government’s forecasts of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1997 to 2001. We will tender the proposed works under a lump sum contract because there are fixed quantities for the majority of the works. We will provide for adjustment due to inflation in the contract because the construction period will last longer than 21 months.

10. We estimate the annually recurrent expenditure to be $784,600.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

11. We consulted the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Tsuen Wan District Board on the proposed works on 11 October 1993. The Committee supported the proposal.

12. We gazetted the proposed works under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance on 31 December 1993. We received three objections during the statutory period, two of which were subsequently withdrawn. The remaining objection was from the owner of a factory at the junction of Castle Peak Road and Sha Tsui Road. He was concerned that the proposed works would have an adverse impact on his access to the factory premises and cause traffic congestion. After expiry of the gazettal period, we received a number of letters (the wording of which was identical) from other factory owners and tenants in the area objecting to the proposed works on the same ground.

13. We completed a Traffic Impact Assessment in June 1996 and concluded that the proposed works would have minimal impact on traffic circulation but that the scheme could be improved by modifying it to include an egress from Sha Tsui Road into Castle Peak Road. We modified the proposed works to provide the objector with a direct egress into Castle Peak Road. Although the objector indicated that he preferred the modified scheme to the original, he refused to withdraw his objection. On 8 October 1996, the Governor in Council authorised the works subject to the inclusion of proposed modification into the project.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

14. In September 1994, we completed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study for the project and concluded that there would be no adverse air quality impact due to the effect of traffic but traffic noise would be a major concern. The EIA shows that some 850 premises will be exposed to noise levels exceeding the noise limit laid down in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines if we do not provide any mitigation measures to these dwellings.

15. To mitigate the noise impact, we will provide direct technical remedies including low noise road surface, road covers and roadside noise barriers. We will also provide indirect technical remedies in the form of window insulation and air-conditioners for some 480 affected premises including a kindergarten/church. We have included the total estimated cost of $29.5 million for these noise mitigation measures in the overall project estimate.

16. We consulted the Traffic and Transport Committee of Tsuen Wan District Board on the proposed noise mitigation measures on 11 October 1993 during the course of the EIA. The Committee accepted in principle the proposed noise mitigation measures. The Advisory Council on the Environment endorsed the EIA report on 21 November 1994 and the Governor in Council approved the indirect technical remedies on 14 March 1995.

17. For short term impacts during construction, we will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisance through implementation of mitigation measures in the works contract.

LAND ACQUISITION

18. The project does not require any land acquisition.

background INFORMATION

19. We included 182TH in Category AB (Category B under our present classification) in July 1983. We originally planned to start the works in September 1987. We first gazetted the proposed works under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance in February 1987. Since then, we had modified and re-gazetted the proposal in January 1989 and December 1993 due to objections received. We subsequently rescheduled the proposed works to commence in April 1997. We explained the reasons for this delay to the Tsuen Wan District Board in the context of the annual Tsuen Wan Development Programme on 7 November 1995 and 5 November 1996. Members considered that we should commence works on the project as soon as possible.

20. We engaged consultants to undertake design and investigations and charged the cost of $5 million to 122TH "Route 5 connections in Tsuen Wan, phases 1, 2 and 3 - site investigation and consultants’ fees and expenses for investigation and design". The consultants have substantially completed the detailed design and drawings.

21. We plan to start the works in April 1997 for completion in October 1999.

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Enclosure to PWSC(96-97)72

182TH - Flyover across Castle Peak Road at Sha Tsui Road

Breakdown of the estimate for consultants’ fees for construction stage

*MPS = Master Pay Scale

Notes

(1) A multiplier factor of 3 is applied to the average MPS point to arrive at the full staff costs including the consultants’ overheads and profit, as the staff will be employed in the consultants’ offices. (At 1.4.95, MPS pt. 40 = $51,440 p.m. and MPS pt. 16 = $17,270 p.m.)

(2) The figures given above are based on estimates prepared by the Director of Territory Development. The consultancy works for this project has been included as part of the overall consultancy agreement for New Town Development at Tsuen Wan.

(LL153)

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