For discussion PWSC(97-98)16
on 9 May 1997

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 706 - HIGHWAYS
Transport - Roads

365TH-Castle Peak Road improvement between area 2 and Sham Tseng, Tsuen Wan
553TH-Castle Peak Road improvement between Sham Tseng and Ka Loon Tsuen, Tsuen Wanm

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee -

  1. to upgrade parts of 365TH and 553TH to Category A as a single new item, at an estimated cost of $57.2 million in money-of-the-day prices, entitled ‘Castle Peak Road improvement between area 2 and Ka Loon Tsuen, Tsuen Wan - consultants’ design fees and investigations’; and

  2. to retain the remaining parts of 365TH and 553TH in Category B.

PROBLEM

The existing Castle Peak Road between area 2 and Ka Loon Tsuen in Tsuen Wan needs to be improved in order to cope with the future traffic flow. We do not have the necessary in-house resources to undertake the detailed design for the improvement.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Highways, with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade parts of 365TH and 553TH to Category A as a single new item at an estimated cost of $57.2 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices to carry out site investigations and to engage consultants to undertake the detailed design for improving the sections of Castle Peak Road between area 2 and Sham Tseng and between Sham Tseng and Ka Loon Tsuen, Tsuen Wan.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The full scope of works of 365TH and 553TH are as follow -

365TH

  1. widening and realignment of the 4.6 kilometres long section of Castle Peak Road between area 2 and Sham Tseng to a dual two-lane carriageway;

  2. improvements to the existing 0.3 kilometres long, dual two-lane section of Castle Peak Road at Sham Tseng;

  3. construction of 3.0 metres wide footpaths on both sides of the widened sections of Castle Peak Road;

  4. construction of the associated elevated highway structures and footbridges; and

  5. construction of the associated geotechnical, landscape and drainage works and implementation of the required noise mitigation measures.

553TH

  1. widening and realignment of the 3.5 kilometres long section of Castle Peak Road between Sham Tseng and Ka Loon Tsuen to a dual two-lane carriageway;

  2. improvements to the existing 0.15 kilometres long, dual two-lane section of Castle Peak Road at Sham Tseng;

  3. construction of 3.0 metres wide footpaths on both sides of the widened section of Castle Peak Road;

  4. construction of the associated elevated highway structures and footbridges; and

  5. construction of the associated geotechnical, landscape and drainage works and implementation of the required noise mitigation measures.

4. The parts of the projects we now propose to upgrade to Category A comprise -

  1. the detailed design for Castle Peak Road improvements between area 2 and Sham Tseng, Tsuen Wan (under 365TH) and between Sham Tseng and Ka Loon Tsuen, Tsuen Wan (under 553TH); and

  2. the associated site investigation works.

JUSTIFICATION

5. With increasing residential developments along Castle Peak Road at Yau Kom Tau, Sham Tseng and Tsing Lung Tau, the section of Castle Peak Road between area 2 and Ka Loon Tsuen in Tsuen Wan will be overloaded in the near future. We need to improve this section of Castle Peak Road to cope with the anticipated growth in traffic.

6. We have engaged consultants to study the feasibility of improving this section of Castle Peak Road. The feasibility study concludes that we need to widen this section from single two-lane to dual two-lane standard so as to cope with the traffic growth up to and beyond the year 2011. Without the improvement, traffic in this section of Castle Peak Road will be overloaded by 2011, during peak hours, as shown by the projected volume/capacity (V/C) ratios1 below -

1 A V/C ratio less than 1.0 means that the road has sufficient capacity to cope with the volume of traffic under consideration.

Between area 2 and Sham Tseng

V/C ratio

Section

East-bound

West-bound

(a) Area 2 - Yau Kom Tau

AM
PM

2.3
1.8

2.0
2.2

(b) Yau Kom Tau - Ting Kau

AM
PM

1.7
1.4

1.6
1.6

(c) Ting Kau - Sham Tseng

AM
PM

1.8
1.6

1.8
1.6

Between Sham Tseng and Ka Loon Tsuen



V/C ratio

Section

East-bound

West-bound

(a) Sham Tseng - Tsing LungTau

AM
PM

1.9
1.5

1.7
1.8

(b) Tsing Lung Tau - Ka Loon Tsuen

AM
PM

1.6
1.3

1.7
1.4

7. After improvement, the projected V/C ratios for the year 2011 during peak hours are as follows -

Between area 2 and Sham Tseng




V/C ratio

Section

East-bound

West-bound

(a) Area 2 - Yau Kom Tau

AM
PM

0.7
0.5

0.6
0.7

(b) Yau Kom Tau - Ting Kau

AM
PM

0.6
0.5

0.5
0.6

(c) Ting Kau - Sham Tseng

AM
PM

0.6
0.5

0.6
0.6

Between Sham Tseng and Ka Loon Tsuen



V/C ratio

Section

East-bound

West-bound

(a) Sham Tseng - Tsing Lung Tau

AM
PM

0.6
0.5

0.6
0.6

(b) Tsing Lung Tau - Ka Loon Tsuen

AM
PM

0.5
0.4

0.5
0.5

8. We propose to engage consultants to undertake the detailed design of these two projects as we do not have the necessary in-house resources. We will commission a single consultancy for these two projects so as to better utilise resources. We will also engage contractors to carry out site investigation works. The consultants will consider providing suitable laybys and recreational cycle tracks where the site situation permits.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

9. We estimate the cost of consultants’ fees and investigations to be $57.2 million in MOD prices, made up as follows -


$ million



365TH
(part)

553TH
(part)


(a) Site investigations

15.8

7.7


(b) Consultants’ fees




(i) detailed design

11.8

5.8


(ii) supervision of site investigations

1.6

0.8

(c) Contingencies

4.7

2.2



_____

_____


Sub-total

33.9

16.5

(at December
1996 prices)

(d) Inflation allowance

4.6

2.2



_____

_____


Total

38.5

18.7

(in MOD prices)

_____

_____


10. We will award the consultancy on a lump sum basis with provisions for inflation adjustment as the duration of the consultancy will exceed 12 months. A breakdown by man-months of the estimate for consultants’ fees is at the Enclosure.

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

Year

$ million
(Dec 1996)

Price
adjustment
factor

$ million
(MOD)


365TH
(part)

553TH
(part)


365TH
(part)

553TH
(part)

1997 - 98

18.7

9.1

1.06750

20.0

9.7

1998 - 99

8.3

4.0

1.16358

9.7

4.7

1999 - 2000

6.9

3.4

1.26830

8.8

4.3

____

____


____

____

33.9

16.5


38.5

18.7

____

____


____

____

12. The proposed consultancy will not give rise to annually recurrent expenditure.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

13. We consulted the Tsuen Wan District Board on 4 March 1997 and the Board supported the proposed improvements. Some land areas needed for the future improved road fall within the gazetted boundaries of six beaches and a sitting out area, all of which are under the purview of the Regional Council. We consulted the Tsuen Wan District Committee, the Recreation and Culture Select Committee as well as the full Regional Council on 6 March 1997, 11 March 1997 and 27 March 1997 respectively. They supported the proposed improvements and agreed to release the land areas needed for the road widening.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

14. The proposed consultancy has no environmental implications. As part of the Feasibility Study for Castle Peak Road Improvements, we employed a separate consultant to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment 2 (EIA) to identify, predict and assess the potential environmental impacts arising from the projects. The EIA has identified traffic noise as the major concern. The findings indicate that by the year 2011, some 4 900 dwelling units will be exposed to noise levels up to 82dB(A), exceeding the maximum allowable level of 70dB(A) specified under the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines. To mitigate the traffic noise impact, we have drawn up the following package of direct and indirect technical remedies -

2 We charged the cost of the EIA of $0.92 million to Subhead 6100TX group 8 - "Consultants' design fees and charges and major in-house investigation for highways projects"

  1. direct technical remedies to be incorporated in the design in the form of sections of noise barriers 3.5 metres to 5 metres in height at Tsing Lung Tau, a 0.8 metre high concrete profile barrier between Ting Kau and Approach Beach and, a 200-metre long partial enclosure in front of Greenview Terrace and Blossom Terrace, at an estimated total cost of $54.6 million in MOD prices; and

  2. indirect technical remedies in the form of insulated windows and air-conditioning at an estimated total cost of $101.6 million in MOD prices for some 2 320 eligible dwelling units along the Castle Peak Road. We will seek the Governor-in-Council’s approval on the indirect technical remedies at the appropriate time.

15. The Advisory Council on the Environment endorsed the EIA findings and recommendations on 21 April 1997. The consultant we now propose to appoint will conduct an overall review of the environmental mitigation measures recommended in the EIA and design the details of these measures.

LAND ACQUISITION

16. The proposed consultancy does not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

17. We upgraded 365TH and 553TH to Category B in September 1995. We plan to start the detailed design works in June 1997 for completion in September 1999.

Transport Branch
May 1997
(LL216)

Enclosure to PWSC(97-98)16

DETAILS OF CONSULTANTS’ FEES

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

Consultants’ staff costs


Estimated
man
months

Propopsed
rates
per man
month

Multiplier
factor

Estimated
fee
($ million)



365TH

553TH



365TH

553TH

(a) Design (including review of the findings of feasibility study, EIA and DIA, detailed design, preparation of contract documents and assessment of tenders)

Professional
Technical

114
95

55
48

$81,065
$27,273

-
-

9.2
2.6

4.5
1.3

(b) Supervision
of site investigations

Professional
Technical

6
10

3
5

MPS Pt 40
MPS pt 16

3.0
3.0

1.0
0.6

0.5
0.3






____________



Total consultants’ staff cost

20.0

Out-of-pocket expenses






Site investigations

(365TH)
(553TH)





15.8
7.7






____________



Total out-of-pocket expenses

23.5

*MPS - Master Pay Scale

Notes

  1. The Director of Highways has completed the consultants selection exercise but has not yet awarded the consultancy pending Finance Committee’s approval of this submission. The estimated fees, estimated man months and proposed professional and technical staff rates for the design are based on the recommended consultant’s offer.

  2. The figures for site investigations and supervision of site investigations by the consultant are based on estimates prepared by the Director of Highways. 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. (At 1.4.96 MPS pt. 40 = $55,390 p.m. and MPS pt. 16 = $18,595 p.m.) We have adopted a factor of 3 for supervision of site investigations because it will be impracticable to recruit site staff to supervise the site investigations which will last for about 5 months only. The consultants will redeploy their head office staff to supervise the site investigations. We will remunerate the consultant for supervision of site investigations based on the actual salary cost of their staff and the actual staff time spent.

  3. Out-of-pocket expenses are for the actual costs incurred. The consultants are not entitled to any additional payment for overheads or profit in respect of these items.

(LL216)

Last Updated on 16 August 1999