For discussion
PWSC(98-99)28
on 7 October 1998
ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 706 - HIGHWAYS
Transport - Roads
721TH - Widening of Yuen Long Highway between Lam Tei and Shap Pat Heung Interchange
Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee -
- to upgrade part of 721TH entitled "Widening of Yuen Long Highway between Lam Tei and Shap Pat Heung Interchange - preliminary design and ground investigations" to Category A at an estimated cost of $29.9 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices; and
- to retain the remainder of 721TH in Category B.
PROBLEM
The existing Yuen Long Highway between Lam Tei and Shap Pat Heung Interchange will not be able to cope with the future traffic demand.
PROPOSAL
2. The Director of Highways, with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade part of 721TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $29.9 million in MOD prices to employ consultants to undertake the preliminary design of the proposed project and to supervise the associated ground investigation works.
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
3. The scope of works for 721TH includes -
- widening of approximately 7 kilometres of the existing Yuen Long Highway between Lam Tei and Shap Pat Heung Interchange ("the Highway") from dual 2-lane to dual-3 lane;
- provision of a 3.3 metre wide hard shoulder along the slow lane of the Highway where site and land conditions permit, or a 1-metre wide marginal strip otherwise;
- modification of various existing slip roads joining, or roundabouts/interchanges along, the Highway to suit the above widening;
- an assessment of the existing condition and residual life of the pavement of the Highway together with proposals for extending the life of the existing pavement to match the design life of the new pavement; and
- associated works on roads, geotechnical conditions, environmental mitigation, drainage, landscaping, street lighting, traffic aids (including sign gantries), traffic control and surveillance facilities, and electrical and mechanical (E&M) installations.
4. The part of the project we now propose to upgrade to Category A comprises :
- the preliminary design of the proposed works described in paragraph 3 above as well as related environmental, drainage, traffic impact assessments; and
- the associated ground investigations.
JUSTIFICATION
5. The Yuen Long Highway between Lam Tei and Shap Pat Heung Interchange is a 6.7-kilometre long dual 2-lane highway completed in 1994. It is a trunk route between Tuen Mun and Yuen Long. It also forms part of the major road network serving Tin Shui Wai.
6. The Highway is presently operating at about 70% of its capacity. According to the Tin Shui Wai Development Study completed by the Director of Territory Development in mid 1997, most sections of the Highway will be operating beyond capacity by 2001. We therefore propose to widen the Highway to dual 3-lane to meet the traffic demand up to at least 2011.
7. Furthermore, according to the preliminary results of the Crosslinks Further Studies on the road link between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Western Corridor will connect into the future Deep Bay Link which is planned for completion by late 2004. The Deep Bay Link will be connected to the Yuen Long Highway directly before the proposed Route 10 - North Lantau to Yuen Long Highway is completed in 2007. The cross border traffic between Hong Kong and Shenzhen through the Deep Bay Link will mostly route through the Yuen Long Highway between 2004 and 2007. Therefore, this forecast increase in traffic underscores the urgency of the proposed Yuen Long Highway widening works. The following table shows the projected volume/capacity [ The capacity here refers to the design capacity of the road. A V/C ratio equal to or less than 1.0 means that the road has sufficient capacity to cope with the volume of vehicular traffic under consideration. A V/C ratio above 1.0 indicates the onset of mild congestion; above 1.2 indicates more serious congestion with traffic speeds progressively deteriorating with further increase in traffic.] (V/C) ratios in 2001 and 2011 during morning peak hours with and without the proposed widening -
|
|
V/C ratio
|
|
Year
|
|
without
widening
|
with
widening |
|
2001
|
|
1.46
|
0.97 |
|
2011
|
|
1.49
|
0.99 |
8. We now need to proceed with the preliminary design and associated ground investigation works for the project so as to finalise the road widening layout, the land requirements, as well as the extent of environmental, drainage, traffic and other impacts on the areas concerned. Such information is essential for us to firm up the scope of the proposed road project for the subsequent detailed design stage.
9. In order to shorten the duration of the detailed design stage, we also propose to carry out ground investigation works for the detailed design concurrently with the preliminary design stage. We can do this in parallel because the new road corridor follows basically the existing alignment.
10. The Director of Highways proposes to employ consultants to undertake the preliminary design for 721TH and to supervise the associated ground investigation works, as the Highways Department does not have the necessary in-house resources.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
11. We estimate the cost of this part of the project to be $29.9 million in MOD prices, made up as follows -
|
|
$ million
|
|
|
(a) Consultants fees
|
|
13.5
|
|
|
(i) preliminary design
|
11.9
|
|
|
|
(ii) supervision of ground investigations
|
1.4
|
|
|
|
(iii) Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund (EMSTF)
|
0.2
|
|
|
|
(b) Ground Investigations
|
|
9.8
|
|
|
(c) Contingencies
|
|
2.3
|
|
|
|
_____
|
|
|
Sub-total
|
|
25.6
|
(at December
1997 prices) |
|
(d) Inflation allowance
|
|
4.3
|
|
|
|
_____
|
|
|
Total
|
|
29.9
|
(in MOD prices) |
|
|
_____
|
|
12. We will award the consultancy through tendering on a lump sum basis with provisions for inflation adjustments, as the duration of the consultancy will exceed 12 months. A breakdown by man-months of the estimate for consultants fees is at Enclosure. The consultants will supervise the ground investigation works under a contract to be awarded through normal competitive tendering procedures.
13. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows :
|
Year
|
$ million
(Dec 1997)
|
Price
adjustment
factor
|
$ million
(MOD) |
|
1999 - 2000
|
20.9
|
1.14878
|
24.0 |
|
2000 - 2001
|
4.7
|
1.24642
|
5.9 |
|
_____
|
|
_____ |
|
25.6
|
|
29.9 |
|
_____
|
|
_____ |
14. The proposed preliminary design and associated ground investigation works will not give rise to any annually recurrent expenditure.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
15. We consider public consultation unnecessary at the preliminary design and ground investigation stage. We will consult the Tuen Mun Provisional District Board, Yuen Long Provisional District Board and the Advisory Council on the Environment when we have finalised the preliminary design of 721TH.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
16. The proposed preliminary design and ground investigation works will not have any direct adverse environmental implications. However, the proposed road project is a designated project under Schedule 2 of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Ordinance. The law requires an environmental permit for the project before the commencement of work. We will prepare an EIA report and meet the requirements under the EIA Ordinance.
17. As part of the consultancy study, the consultants will conduct a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to identify, predict, and assess the potential environmental impacts arising from the road project. The EIA will identify the necessary environmental mitigation measures during the construction and operational phases of the project, and to resolve the problems. We shall incorporate all mitigation measures identified into the detailed design of the project.
LAND ACQUISITION
18. The proposed preliminary design and ground investigation works do not involve any land acquisition.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
19. We included 721TH in Category B in August 1998.
20. We plan to start the preliminary design and ground investigation work in March 1999. The study will take some 16 months to finish. We aim to complete the study in June 2000. Thereafter, we will proceed with the detailed design work in November 2000 for completion in early 2002. We aim at starting the road widening works in the latter half of 2002 for completion in late 2004. We will take any necessary traffic management measures to alleviate traffic congestion during the construction period.
---------------------------------------
Transport Bureau
September 1998
(PWSC0014/WIN1)
Enclosure to PWSC(98-99)28
721TH - Widening of Yuen Long Highway between Lam Tei
and Shap Pat Heung Interchange
Breakdown of estimates for consultants fees (at December 1997 prices)
|
Consultants staff costs
|
|
Estimated
man-
months
|
Average
MPS
salary
point
|
Multiplier
factor
|
Estimated
fee
($ million) |
|
(a) Review of the findings of previous feasibility studies, and examination of alignments and design options
|
Professional
Technical
|
2
5
|
40
16
|
3.0
3.0
|
0.4
0.3 |
|
(b) Impact assessments
|
Professional
Technical
|
15
30
|
40
16
|
3.0
3.0
|
2.7
1.8 |
|
(c) Determination of land requirements
|
Professional
Technical
|
2
5
|
40
16
|
3.0
3.0
|
0.4
0.3 |
|
(d) Preliminary Design
|
Professional
Technical
|
20
40
|
40
16
|
3.0
3.0
|
3.6
2.4 |
|
(e) Supervision of Ground Investigations
|
Professional
Technical
|
7
14
|
40
16
|
2.1
2.1
|
0.8
0.6 |
|
(f) Charges by EMSTF
|
|
|
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
_____ |
|
|
Total consultants staff costs
|
13.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
_____ |
|
Out-of-pocket expenses
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(a) Ground Investigations
|
|
|
|
|
9.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
_____ |
|
|
Total out-of-pocket expenses
|
9.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
_____ |
* 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 consultant offices. (At 1 April 97, MPS pt. 40 = $59,210 p.m., and MPS pt. 16 = $19,860 p.m.). A multiplier factor of 2.1 is applied in the case of site staff supplied by the consultants.
(2) Out-of-pocket expenses are the actual costs incurred. The consultant is not entitled to any additional payment for the overheads or profit in respect of these items.
(3) The figures given above are based on estimates prepared by the Director of Highways. We will only know the actual man months and actual fees when we have selected the consultant through the usual competitive lump sum fee bid system.
(4) Since the establishment of the EMSTF on 1 August 1996 under the Trading Funds Ordinance, government departments pay for design and technical consultancy services for electrical and mechanical (E&M) installations provided by EMSD. The services rendered for this project include checking consultants submissions on all E&M installations and providing technical advice to the Government on all E&M works and their impacts on the project.
(PWSC0014/WIN1)
