For discussion PWSC(97-98)20
on 9 May 1997
ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 706 - HIGHWAYS
Transport - Roads
700TH - Landscapinge works Aalong North Lantau Expressway
Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 700TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $7068.8 million in money-of-the-day prices.
PROBLEM
There are no landscape works in the newly completed Yam O and Tai Ho sections of the North Lantau Expressway (NLE),. which are part of the road link to serve the new airport at Chek Lap Kok. The Eexpressway, which will be the gateway to the visitors by air to arriving in Hong Kong by air, will looks unpleasant and not be compatible with the surrounding environment without the landscape works.the other sections of highway serving the new airport, where landscape treatment has been implemented.
PROPOSAL
2. The Director of Highways (DHy), with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade 700TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $7068.8 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the landscapinge works along the Yam O and Tai Ho Ssections of the NLE Expressway.
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
3. The proposed scope of this the project comprises -:-
- Pplanting and seeding of native trees and shrubs inon soft slopes and roadside verges;
- Llandscape treatment to screen the lower portion of rock slopes; and
- Aaesthetic treatment of rock slopes and engineering features.
JUSTIFICATION
4. The roadside verges and soft slopes formed under the civil engineering contracts of NLE are only grassed planted with grasses and rock slopes are only protected by shotcrete without aesthetic treatment. The NLE is the only strategic road link to the new airport and will be the first expressway to be seen by all visitors who arriveing in Hong Kong by air. Their first impressions of Hong Kong will be enhanced considerably while travelling on if they travel to the urban areas along an attractively landscaped expressway. Without landscaping treatment, the these 9.5 kilometre long Tai Ho and Yam O sections of the first-class expressway along the coastline of North Lantau, will be far less appealing NLE will appear somewhat severe with large expanses of newly cut rock slopes and shotcrete contrasting heavily with the nearby natural landscape.
5. The proposed landscape works will soften the visual intrusion austerity of the engineering construction and neutralize harmonise the expressway to blend in with the surrounding natural environment.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
6. We estimate the capital cost of the proposed works to be $70 68.8 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 7 below), made up as follows -:-
|
$ million
|
|
|---|
|
(a) Landscape and associated works
|
50.0
|
|
|
(b) Site Sstaff Ccosts
|
3.0
|
|
|
(c) Supervision fees
|
1.0
|
|
|
(d) Contingencies
|
5.0
|
|
|
_____
|
|
|
Sub-total
|
59.0
|
(at December
1996 prices) |
|
(e) Inflation allowance
|
9.8
|
|
|
_____
|
|
|
Total
|
68.8
|
(in MOD prices) |
|
_____
|
|
7. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows - :-
|
Year
|
$ million
(Dec 1996)
|
Price
adjustment
factor
|
$ million
(MOD)
|
|---|
|
1997 - 98
|
14.3
|
1.067500
|
15.34 |
|
1998 - 99
|
34.8
|
1.16382580
|
40.51.2 |
|
1999 - 00
|
6.2
|
1.26830075
|
7.98.2 |
|
2000 - 01
|
3.7
|
1.38240644
|
5.12 |
|
_____
|
|
_____ |
|
59.0
|
|
70.0068.8 |
|
_____
|
|
_____ |
8. We have derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Governments forecasts of trend labour and construction prices for over the period between 1997 and to 2001. We will tender the works under a standard re-measurement contract because the quantity of plantation works may vary on site to suit the natural environment and growth conditions of the plants. The contractWe will not allow provisions for adjustment to tender price due to inflation because the construction period will only last for be 13 months for construction, whilealthough the overall contract period which includes an establishment period for the landscape works is 37 months.
9. We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure arising from the proposed works to be $542,000.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
10. We consulted the Island District Board and Tsuen Wan District Board in April 1997 for the proposed works. Members of both District Boards supported the proposed works.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
11. The Director of HighwaysThe proposed works are part of the recommendations of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the NLE completed by DHy in 1991 to mitigate the visual and ecological impacts of the expressway. We will control short term construction impacts during the contract period through pollution control clauses in the works contract.included in relevant contract conditions to control and ameliorate construction impact to an acceptable level within established guidelines and standards.
LAND ACQUISITION
12. The proposed works do not require any land acquisition.
Background INFORMATION
13. We included 700TH in Category B in April 1997.
14. The NLE is a North Lantau Expressway is a 12.5 kilometre long expressway connecting with the Lantau Link at its eastern end and linking to the main road on and the Island leading to the new airport. The Civil engineering construction of the three sections in the three sections of the NLE, namely the Yam O, Tai Ho and Tung Chung sections, , from east to west, have all has been completed by early 1997. The entire road network will be opened to traffic on 22 May 1997. We intend to carry out the landscape works under the proposed project for the Yam O and Tai Ho sections of NLE.
15. In November 1996 S for T gave policy support for the proposed landscaping along Yam O and Tai Ho Sections of the NLE. Secretary for the Treasury included the proposed landscaping works in Category B by direct injection. We have engaged consultants to carry out the design and to prepare the working drawings at a cost of $1.0 million charged to the block allocation 6100TX - "Highways works, study & investigation for items in Cat. D of PWP". The consultants have completed the detailed design and preparation of the working drawings. We have scheduled the works to start in November 1997 for completion in December 2000. The contract period will comprises 13 months of construction and 24 months of establishment for the plants.
16. The Director of Territory Development has included landscape works for the Tung Chung section of the NLE in the landscape works contract for the Tung Chung New Town. The works will start in May 1997 for completion in September 1998.
17. We have engaged consultants to carry out the design and drawings for the proposed landscape works and charged the cost of $1.0 million under block allocation Subhead 6100TX "Highway works, studies, and investigations for items in Category D of the Public Works Programme". We plan to start the works in November 1997 for completion in December 1998.
Transport Branch
April 1997
(DD1101)
Last Updated on 16 August 1999
