PWSC(97-98)93
For discussion
on 10 December 1997


ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS
SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 711 - HOUSING
Transport - Roads
578TH - Wong Chuk Hang Road flyover and associated road widening

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 578TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $305.8 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of the Wong Chuk Hang Road flyover and associated road widening.

PROBLEM

The junction capacity of Wong Chuk Hang Road/Nam Long Shan Road is unable to cope with future traffic demand arising from the developments in Ap Lei Chau, Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang.

PROPOSAL

2.The Director of Highways, with the support of the Secretary for Housing and the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade 578TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $305.8 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of a dual 2-lane flyover along Wong Chuk Hang Road over its junction with Nam Long Shan Road and the associated road widening works.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3.The scope of the project comprises -

  1. construction of a 550-metre-long dual 2-lane flyover along Wong Chuk Hang Road over its junction with Nam Long Shan Road;

  2. associated widening and reconstruction of a 660-metre-long section of Wong Chuk Hang Road;

  3. demolition of a footbridge across Wong Chuk Hang Road at its junction with Nam Long Shan Road; and

  4. ancillary traffic aids, drainage and landscape works.

JUSTIFICATION

4.Wong Chuk Hang Road is a primary distributor in the Southern District. It serves as part of Route 1 linking various areas of Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen, Ap Lei Chau, Tin Wan and Pok Fu Lam to Wan Chai.

5.With the gradual completion of developments1 in the area of Wong Chuk Hang, Ap Lei Chau and Aberdeen, we expect that the traffic volume at the signalised junction of Wong Chuk Hang Road and Nam Long Shan Road will increase significantly. We estimate that by 2002, traffic congestion will occur along Nam Long Shan Road northbound during peak hours slowing down commuting movements in the local road network.

6.The proposed Wong Chuk Hang Road flyover will allow uninterrupted flow for the east-west traffic movements, thus improving the junction capacity at Nam Long Shan Road and Wong Chuk Hang Road. Together with the associated road widening, the junction capacity of Wong Chuk Hang Road and Nam Long Shan Road will have a reserve capacity of 21% in 2011.

7.To accommodate the proposed flyover and the widened road, we have to demolish2 an existing footbridge at the junction. Upon the commissioning of the flyover, we will reconstruct the affected section of Wong Chuk Hang Road and provide a permanent at-grade pedestrian crossing at the junction to replace the demolished footbridge.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

8.We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $305.8 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 9 below), made up as follows -

$ million
(a)Flyover 150.0
(b)Road and drainage works 33.1
(c)Demolition of existing footbridge 1.2
(d)Traffic aids and landscape works 1.3
(e)Consultants' fee for construction stage 1.0
(f)Resident site staff costs 28.0
(g)Contingencies 21.4
Sub-total236.0 (at
December
1996 prices)
(h)Inflation allowance69.8
Total305.8 (in MOD
prices)

A breakdown by man months of the consultants' fees and resident site staff costs is at the Enclosure.

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

Year $ million
(Dec 1996)		 Price
adjustment
factor		 $ million
(MOD)
1998 - 1999 43.0 1.16358 50.0
1999 - 2000 115.0 1.26830 145.9
2000 - 2001 65.0 1.38244 89.9
2001 - 2002 10.0 1.50686 15.1
2002 - 2003 3.0 1.64248 4.9
236.0305.8

10.We have derived the MOD estimates on the basis of the Government's forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1998 to 2003. We will tender the proposed works under a re-measurement contract in view of the high proportion of foundation work for the flyover. The contract will provide for adjustments due to inflation as the contract period will exceed 21 months.

11.We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure to be $771,000.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

12.We consulted the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Southern District Board on 20 January 1997. The Board requested early implementation of the project to relieve the traffic congestion in Wong Chuk Hang area, particularly during peak hours, and to tie in with the completion of various public housing projects in the District to avoid future increases in traffic flow.

13.We gazetted the proposed works under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance on 4 April 1997 and 11 April 1997 respectively and received three objections3 .

14.The objectors were concerned about the inconvenience caused to the owners and tenants of adjacent buildings during the construction and commissioning of the flyover project. They also worried about the environmental impacts brought about by the flyover project. We explained to the objectors on the need for the proposed flyover and the resulting traffic benefits brought to the community. We also informed them that we had assessed the possible environmental impacts on the area and would provide appropriate measures to ameliorate the impacts in accordance with the established policies and standards. Consequently, all the three objectors withdrew their objections.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

15.We completed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for the project in April 1997. The EIA concluded that the project would not cause any long term air nor noise problems but recommended environmental improvement measures including planting additional roadside trees along the widened road and the provision of aesthetic treatment for the flyover.

16.The Advisory Council on the Environment had been consulted on the project and advised that given the project's limited scale and complexity, the EIA would not need to be presented to them.

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

LAND ACQUISITION

18.The proposed works do not require any land acquisition. We shall remove4 the projections from the industrial buildings facing Wong Chuk Hang Road and along the stretch of the proposed flyover in order to maintain adequate clearance for the passage of vehicles, which include emergency vehicles, on the widened carriageway.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

19.We upgraded this project to Category B on 5 July 1995.

20.We engaged consultants in June 1996 to undertake the detailed design and investigation for the proposed works and charged the cost of $7.5 million to Subhead B100HX " Minor housing development related works, studies and investigations for items in Category D of the Public Works Programme " . The consultants have substantially completed the detailed design, working drawings and tender documents. We plan to start the works in June 1998 for completion in November 2001.

21.To minimize disruption to traffic during construction, we will carry out the proposed work in stages and implement a temporary traffic diversion scheme in consultation with the Police and the Transport Department to ensure that the principal traffic flows will be maintained during all stages of construction.

Housing Bureau
November 1997

(HH595)

1. Developments in the areas include the completed South Horizons development in Ap Lei Chau and several planned housing sites in Ap Lei Chau, Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang.

2.We shall demolish the existing footbridge after commissioning of the flyover and provision of the permanent at-grade pedestrian crossing. As the proposed flyover will carry the main through traffic, the signalised junction will have sufficient capacity to accommodate both the local vehicular and pedestrian traffics at grade. There is no need to reprovide a footbridge at the junction.

3.The three objectors are Rheingold (Hong Kong) Limited, owner of 39 and 41-43 Wong Chuk Hang Road, the Incorporated Owners of Po Chai Industrial Building and Ms. CHAN Oi-ling, owner of 1/F., Po Chai Industrial Building, 28 Wong Chuk Hang Road.

4.The Director of Building plans to clear the concerned projections from the industrial buildings from January 1998 to May 1998 at an estimated cost of $28 million chargeable to Head 701 - Land Acquisition Subhead 1100CA " Compensation and ex-gratia allowances in respect of projects in the Public Works programme " .

Enclosure to PWSC(97-98)

578TH - Wong Chuk Hang Road flyover and associated road widening

Breakdown of estimates for consultants' fees

Consultants'
staff costs		 Estimated
man
months 		Average
MPs'
salary
point		 Multiplier
factor		 Estimated
fee
($ million)
(a)Administration of contract for construction stage Professional
Technical 		5.0
2.7		 40
16 		3.0
3.0		 0.8
0.2
(b)Site supervision by resident site staff employed by the consultants Professional
Technical 		40.0
598.0		 40
16 		2.1
2.1		 4.7
23.3
Total consultant's staff costs29.0

" 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 consultant.

2.The consultants' fee for work in the construction stage is a provisional part of the lump sum price quoted by the selected consultants under Agreement No. CE 37/95 " Wong Chuk Hang Road flyover and associated road widening - design and construction " which is available for acceptance by Government subject to approval for upgrading 578TH to Category A.

(HH595)