PWSC(97-98)132
For discussion
on 17 February 1998


ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS
SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 702 - PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT
Territory Development
Civil Engineering - Land development
321CL - Reclamation and servicing of Tuen Mun area 38 for special industries

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee -

  1. the upgrading of part of 321CL, entitled "Foothills Bypass and improvement works along Wong Chu Road in Tuen Mun", to Category A at an estimated cost of $2,061.7 million in money-of-the-day prices; and

  2. the retention of the remainder of 321CL in Category B.

PROBLEM

The existing roads linking the western part of Tuen Mun with Tuen Mun Road do not have adequate capacity to cope with the anticipated increase in traffic generated from the river trade terminal (RTT) and special industries developments in Tuen Mun area 38.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Territory Development, with the support of the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, proposes to upgrade part of 321CL to Category A at an estimated cost of $2,061.7 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of a bypass road along the foothills of Castle Peak (the "Foothills Bypass") between Tuen Mun west and Wong Chu Road, and associated road improvement and noise mitigation works along Wong Chu Road in Tuen Mun.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The scope of 321CL comprises -

  1. the Foothills Bypass;

  2. improvements to Wong Chu Road and Tuen Mun Road interchange;

  3. improvements to the junction of Hoi Wong Road and Wu Shan Road near Wu King Estate;

  4. reclamation, roads and drainage works for 33 hectares of land at Tuen Mun area 38 for special industries developments; and

  5. a common user pier at the area 38 reclamation for cargo handling.

4. The part of 321CL we now propose to upgrade to Category A covers the works in paragraphs 3(a) to 3(c) above comprising -

  1. construction of the 2.6 kilometres long, dual-2 lane Foothills Bypass from Tuen Mun west near Butterfly Beach to Wong Chu Road;

  2. widening, reconstruction and realignment of slip roads at the Wong Chu Road and Lung Mun Road interchange, and the Wong Chu Road and Tuen Mun Road interchange;

  3. construction of 460 metres of noise covers along Wong Chu Road;

  4. widening of the junction between Hoi Wong Road and Wu Shan Road; and

  5. construction of associated footpaths, cycleways, village accesses, roadside noise barriers, stormwater drains, slope works and landscaping works.

The site plan at Enclosure 1 shows the location of the proposed works.

JUSTIFICATION

5. In 1989, the Port and Airport Development Strategy identified Tuen Mun area 38 as a suitable site for RTT (about 56 hectares) and special industries 1 developments (about 55 hectares). We granted the development rights for the RTT to a private developer in April 1996. The Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation (HKIEC) is now planning to develop the special industries area for the fourth industrial estate.

6. At present, the primary road access to and from Tuen Mun area 38 is via Lung Mun Road, Wong Chu Road and Tuen Mun Road. The at-grade road junctions along Lung Mun Road and the slip roads at Wong Chu Road/Lung Mun Road and Wong Chu Road/Tuen Mun Road interchanges are either operating at full capacity now or will reach their full capacities in 2001. These roads will not be able to cope with the additional traffic generated from the developments in Tuen Mun area 38 as stated in paragraph 5 above. If we do not improve the road network in Tuen Mun area, the additional traffic generated from Tuen Mun area 38 when the RTT and the special industries in the fourth industrial estate start to operate in 2000 and 2001 respectively will seriously overload Lung Mun Road and Wong Chu Road. The traffic noise along these roads will also reach unacceptable levels.

7. To relieve the traffic congestion and traffic noise impact along Lung Mun Road, we propose to construct the Foothills Bypass to divert traffic from Lung Mun Road, in particular that generated by heavy goods and container vehicles. The Foothills Bypass will accommodate about 2 800 vehicles per hour in each direction. We also propose to widen the slip roads at the Lung Mun Road/Wong Chu Road and the Wong Chu Road/Tuen Mun Road interchanges to relieve traffic congestion along Wong Chu Road. The proposed noise covers and barriers along Wong Chu Road will bring traffic noise down to an acceptable level.

8. The secondary road access to and from Tuen Mun area 38 is via Lung Mun Road, Wu Shan Road, Hoi Wong Road, Hoi Wing Road and Castle Peak Road. We estimate that the junction between Hoi Wong Road and Wu Shan Road will reach its full capacity in 2001. Accordingly, we propose to widen this junction to cope with the additional traffic generated from the developments in Tuen Mun area 38.

9. At present, the developer of the RTT plans to complete the terminal in phases between late 1998 and late 2000. The HKIEC plans to dispose of the first lot of the fourth industrial estate for special industries development by end 2001 or early 2002. To match with the programme of the RTT developer and the HKIEC, we need to start the proposed works in July 1998 for completion in June 2001.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

10. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $2,061.7 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 11 below), made up as follows -

$ million


(a) Roadworks


801.0


(i) bridges

285.0



(ii) at-grade roadworks

280.0



(iii) slope and earth works

214.0



(iv) traffic aids and diversions

22.0



(b) Noise mitigation measures


251.0


(i) noise covers

215.0



(ii) noise barriers

30.0



(iii) low noise road surfacing

6.0



(c) Drainage works


62.0


(d) Watermains diversion works


49.0


(e) Landscaping works


34.0


(f) Environmental monitoring and audit


4.0


(g) Consultants' fees for -


154.0


(i) construction stage

18.0



(ii) resident site staff costs

136.0



(h) Contingencies


135.0


Sub-total1,490.0 (at
December
1996
prices)

(i) Inflation allowance


571.7


Total2,061.7 (in MOD prices)

We propose to employ consultants as there are insufficient in-house staff to supervise the project. A breakdown by man-months of the estimate for consultants' fees is at the Enclosure 2.

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

Year

$ million
(Dec 1996)

Price
adjustment
factor

$ million
(MOD)

1998 - 99

100

1.16358

116.4

1999 -2000

450

1.26830

570.7

2000 - 01

500

1.38244

691.2

2001 - 02

290

1.50686

437.0

2002 - 03

150

1.64248

246.4

1,490


2,061.7

12. We have derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government's forecasts of trend labour and construction prices for the period from 1998 to 2003. We will tender the road and bridge works under a lump sum contract because we have firm quantities for the majority of the works. We will tender the slope and earth works under a separate standard remeasurement contract because the quantities of the earthworks may vary according to the actual ground conditions. The contracts will provide for inflation adjustments because the contract periods will exceed 21 months.

13. We estimate the annually recurrent expenditure to be $10.3 million.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

14. We consulted the Tuen Mun District Board (TMDB) on the proposed noise mitigation works along Wong Chu Road on 6 February 1996. We also consulted the TMDB on the proposed Foothills Bypass on 3 December 1996. The TMDB supported the proposed works. We consulted the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Tuen Mun Provisional District Board on the proposed Hoi Wong Road and Wu Shan Road junction improvement works on 26 September 1997. The Committee had no objection to the proposal.

15. We presented the results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies mentioned in paragraph 18 below to the Environmental Improvement and District Development Committee of TMDB on 24 May 1996 and 10 January 1997. The Committee accepted the findings and advised that we should fully implement the noise mitigation measures recommended in the EIA studies.

16. We submitted information notes to the Transport Panel of the then Legislative Council on 23 October 1996 and 9 May 1997 on the traffic impacts of the developments in Tuen Mun area 38 and the proposed road improvement works.

17. We gazetted the proposed roadworks under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance on 15 August 1997 and received no objections.

18. We briefed the Planning, Lands and Works Panel of the Provisional Legislative Council on the proposed works on 10 February 1998.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

19. We completed the EIA for the project under two separate studies, "Reclamation and servicing of Tuen Mun area 38 for special industries - improvement to roads and junctions within Tuen Mun : EIA" and "Foothills Bypass, Tuen Mun Road/Wong Chu Road interchange and other road junction improvement works : EIA" in April 1996 and January 1997 respectively. The studies recommended noise mitigation measures, including the provision of noise covers, noise barriers and low noise road surfacing at critical sections of the roads, to mitigate the traffic noise impact arising from the project to within the established standards and guidelines. The Advisory Council on the Environment endorsed both EIA studies on 27 May 1996 and 17 February 1997, respectively. We will fully incorporate the mitigation measures into the detailed design of the proposed roadworks and implement the environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) programme as recommended in the studies. We have included $251 million 1996 prices)for the mitigation measures and $4 million for the EM&A programme in the overall project estimate.

20. We will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances during construction to within the established standards and guidelines through the implementation of mitigation measures in the works contracts.

LAND ACQUISITION

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

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

22. We included 321CL in Category C in September 1988 and upgraded it to Category B in November 1990.

23. On 9 June 1995, we upgraded the of the first part of 321CL to Category A as 500CL entitled "Reclamation and servicing of Tuen Mun area 38 for special industries - stage I reclamation and associated infrastructure" at an estimated cost of $486.94 million. On 12 July 1995, we upgraded the second part of 321CL to Category A as 502CL entitled "Reclamation and servicing of Tuen Mun area 38 for special industries - sewerage and drainage works" at an estimated cost of $299.5 million. On 12 April 1996, we upgraded the third part of 321CL to Category A as 600TH entitled "Improvement to Lung Mun Road fronting Tuen Mun area 38 and associated sewerage and drainage works" at an estimated cost of $221.7 million. On 10 July 1996, we upgraded the fourth part of 321CL to Category A as 291DS entitled "Upgrading of Pillar Point sewage treatment plant" at an estimated cost of $106.6 million.

24. We started the stage I reclamation of Tuen Mun area 38 under 500CL in September 1995 for completion in late 1999. We started the sewerage and drainage works under 502CL in April 1996 for completion in June 1998. We started the Lung Mun Road improvement works under 600TH in October 1996 for completion in March 1999. We also started the upgrading works of the Pillar Point sewage treatment plant under 291DS in October 1996 for completion in September 1998.

25. We have engaged consultants under 398CL "Reclamation and servicing of Tuen Mun area 38 for special industries - consultants' fees and site investigation" to undertake detailed design and investigations of the proposed works at a cost of $15 million. The consultants have substantially completed the detailed design and working drawings. We plan to start the proposed works in July 1998 for completion in June 2001.

26. We plan to carry out the remaining works under 321CL in stages from 1999 for completion in 2002.


Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau
February 1998

(KK280)

1. 騌pecial Industries?are defined as industries which -

    (a) are capital intensive;
    (b) are generally land extensive and therefore unable to be accommodated in flatted factories;
    (c) may require additional attention to environmental effects;
    (d) may require h eavy consumption of water;
    (e) generally require direct access to port facilities and preferably deep water on account of the bulk and/or unpredictable nature of raw materials handled; and
    (f) may require bulk storage or warehousing facilities on site, including in some cases; goods requiring extra care or treatment in handling.

Enclosure 2 to PWSC(97-98)132

321CL - Reclamation and servicing of Tuen Mun area 38 for special industries

Breakdown of estimates for consultants' fees

Consultants' staff costs


Estimated
man
months

Average
MPS*
salary
point

Multiplier
factor

Estimated
fee
($ million)

(a) Consultants' fees for construction stage






(i) Contract administration

Professional

Technical

80

50

40

16

3.0

3.0

13.3

2.8

(ii) Preparation of as-built drawings

Professional

Technical

4

22

40

16

3.0

3.0

0.7

1.2

(b) Resident site staff cost

Professional

Technical

480

2 054

40

16

2.1

2.1

55.8

80.2

Total consultants' staff costs

154.0

* 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 1.4.96, MPS pt. 40 = $55,390 p.m. and MPS pt. 16 = $18,595 p.m.) A multiplier factor of 2.1 is applied in the case of site staff supplied by the consultants.

2. The figures given above are based on estimates prepared by the Director of Territory Development. The consultancy works for this project will be included as part of the consultancy agreement for the special industries developments in Tuen Mun area 38.

(KK280)