PWSC(97-98)117
For discussion
on 11 February 1998

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS
SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 706 - HIGHWAYS
Transport - Footbridges and pedestrian tunnels
117TB - Footbridge at junction of Boundary Street and Embankment Road

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 117TB to Category A at an estimated cost of $27.0 million in money-of-the-day prices.

PROBLEM

The junction of Boundary Street and Embankment Road has been operating beyond capacity during peak hours. Additional traffic generated from anticipated developments in West and East Kowloon will aggravate the situation.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Highways, with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade 117TB to Category A at an estimated cost of $27.0 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of a footbridge at the junction of Boundary Street and Embankment Road.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The scope of the project comprises -

1. construction of a 2.8-metre wide covered footbridge across Boundary Street at its junction with Embankment Road, together with associated ramps and staircases;

2. reprovisioning of a 2.5-metre wide, 80-metre long footpath along the western side of Embankment Road beside the proposed footbridge; and

3. associated junction modifications, drainage, water main diversion, and landscaping works.

JUSTIFICATION

4. The existing junction of Boundary Street and Embankment Road has been operating beyond capacity during peak hours. The maximum and average queue lengths for the east bound traffic of Boundary Street in the morning peak hours are 250 metres and 116 metres respectively. We anticipate that the gradual completion of developments on the West Kowloon reclamation and the future South-East Kowloon development ¹ will generate additional traffic to further aggravate the situation. We project that, without improvements, the traffic demand by 2001 will exceed the junction capacity by about 40%.

5. We propose to remove the existing at-grade pedestrian crossing across Boundary Street to allow unobstructed traffic flow along Boundary Street at its junction with Embankment Road. This arrangement will increase the capacity of Boundary Street by 32%. We propose to provide a covered footbridge across Boundary Street as a replacement for the at-grade crossing. As the proposed footbridge will occupy about 80 metres of the existing footpath on the west of Embankment Road, we will have to reprovision the footpath along the western side of Embankment Road beside the proposed footbridge. This will not adversely affect the traffic flow in Embankment Road as there are only two traffic lanes at the junction on the existing 12-metre wide carriageway.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $27.0 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 7 below), made up as follows -

	$ million
(a) Footbridge	15.2
(b) Footpath	0.5
(c) Associated junction modifications, drainage, landscaping and water main diversion works	3.2
(d) Contingencies	1.8
	_____
Sub-total	20.7	(at December 1996 prices)
(e) Inflation allowance	6.3
	_____
Total	27.0	(in MOD prices)
	_____

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

Year	$ million (Dec 1996)	Price adjustment factor	$ million (MOD)
1998 - 1999	3.6	1.16358	4.2
1999 - 2000	8.7	1.26830	11.0
2000 - 01	6.4	1.38244	8.8
2001 - 02	2.0	1.50686	3.0
	_____		_____
	20.7		27.0
	_____		_____

8. We have derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government's forecasts of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1998 to 2002. We will tender the works under a lump sum contract because we have firm quantities for the majority of the works. The contract will not provide for inflation adjustment as the contract period will not exceed 21 months.

9. We estimate that the annually recurrent expenditure to be $85,200.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

10. We consulted the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Kowloon City District Board in May 1996. The Committee members supported the proposed works.

11. We gazetted the proposed works of the project under Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance on 15 August 1997 and received no objections.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

12. The Director of Environmental Protection completed an Environmental Review in March 1995 on the proposed footbridge and concluded that there would be no long term operational impact from this project and an Environmental Impact Assessment is not necessary. For short term impacts at the construction stage, we will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances to within established standards and guidelines through the implementation of mitigation measures in the works contract.

LAND ACQUISITION

13. The proposed works do not require any land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

14. We upgraded the project to Category B in June 1995.

15. We have completed the detailed design and drawings for the project, and plan to start the construction in October 1998 for completion in July 2000.

Transport Bureau
January 1998

(LL320)

1. The developments at West Kowloon reclamation is currently under construction for completion in 2001. The South East Kowloon development project is in the planning stage with construction of the phase 1 works to start in 2002.