| News
Stories: |  |
Click-on these
handy "jump links" to quickly access the news item
you're looking
for. 1.
Contract for the construction of trunk sewers awarded 2.
Contract for Widening of Tung Chung Road awarded 3.
Scope of pilot scheme for water-cooled air-con systems
extended 4.
Consultancy for Wan Chai Development Phase II awarded
1. Contract for the construction of trunk sewers awarded The
Drainage Services Department (DSD) today (May 31) awarded a $426.4 million contract
to Leighton-Kumagai Joint Venture to further improve the sewerage systems in Causeway
Bay and North Point. Works to construct about 4.4 km trunk sewers will start immediately
for completion in early 2006. Speaking after the contract signing ceremony, the
Director of Drainage Services, Mr John Collier, said that the trunk sewers, mostly
of 1,800mm diameter, would be laid in the densely developed commercial and residential
areas at Gloucester Road, Percival Street, Hennessy Road, Yee Wo Street in Causeway
Bay, as well as Electric Road and Java Road in North Point. To minimise disruption
to traffic and disturbance to the community, about 3.9 km of the 4.4km sewers
will be constructed by using trenchless method. Another 500m connecting sewers
and 75m fresh watermain will be laid by the open cut method. "By constructing
the trunk sewers by means of trenchless method as much as possible, we will minimise
the extent of road excavation works and, hence, the disturbance to the community,"
Mr Collier said. He said a comprehensive risk analysis was conducted prior to
the tendering of this sewer-laying contract. "From our experience, the major
difficulties encountered in the trenchless method are the uncertainties of the
underground utilities and ground conditions and the impacts on the traffic associated
with the proposed shaft locations and the planned temporary traffic management
scheme (TTMS)," he said. "Full-scale traffic trial runs for the proposed
TTMS and on-site trial trench investigation were carried out in 2001 to identify
any obstructions, difficulties and risks likely to be encountered during construction,"
said Mr Collier, adding that results of these investigations were given to the
tenderers for risk estimation during the tendering process. Besides, DSD also
liaises with utility undertakers and other Government departments to identify
any advance diversions needed and possible entrustment of the works that will
be carried out in the same area so as to avoid repeated road openings in the same
section of road. The contract awarded today forms part of the Wan Chai East and
North Point Sewerage project is designed to improve the sewerage system in Wan
Chai East and North Point areas. Other related works under the project include
replacement of 6.9km of existing branch sewers and re-construction of the inlet
pumping station at North Point Sewage Screening Plant. The works will start in
2003 for completion in December 2006 to tie in with the commissioning of the trunk
sewers. The total costs of the entire sewerage improvement scheme for Wan Chai
East and North Point Sewerage is about $ 900 million. Upon completion of all improvement
works under the scheme, the sewerage systems in Wan Chai East and North Point
will have sufficient capacity to meet future demands of the areas up to year 2021.
It will serve a population of 300,000 in North Point and 140,000 in Wan Chai East
and helps improve the water quality in Victoria Harbour. [Source:
Works Bureau, 31 May 2002] 2.
Contract for Widening of Tung Chung Road awarded
The Territory Development Department (TDD) today (May 31) awarded a contract for
the widening of a section of Tung Chung Road to serve residents of nearby villages.
Works under the contract mainly include the widening of a 950m-long section of
Tung Chung Road between Pa Mei and Lung Tseng Tau at Tung Chung to a two-lane
carriageway. The contract will also cover the construction of footpaths and a
cycle track as well as other associated works including landscaping, drainage
and sewerage works. The contract, at a cost of about $26 million, was signed between
the Project Manager/Hong Kong Island and Islands of the Territory Development
Department, Mr Cheung Tai-yan, and a representative from the Harvest Civil Engineering
Company Limited. Works will begin immediately and be completed by end of 2003. [Source:
Works Bureau, 31 May 2002] 3.
Scope of pilot scheme for water-cooled air-con systems extended
The Government today (May 31) announced that the pilot scheme to allow the use
of fresh water for evaporative cooling in air-conditioning systems in non-domestic
developments would be extended for two years to May 31, 2004. The scope of the
scheme will also be expanded to cover a total of 28 designated areas in the territory.
The scheme was first launched on June 1, 2000 for two years with six designated
areas. It was then expanded in June 2001 for inclusion of 11 additional areas
in the scheme. In view of the feedback from owners of non-domestic buildings on
the scheme, the Government decided to further extend its scope. The 28 designated
areas for implementation of the scheme comprise six on Hong Kong Island, 11 in
Kowloon and 11 in the New Territories. Of them, 11 are newly-designated. Meanwhile,
the sizes of 11 existing areas have been enlarged and the rest remain unchanged.
The pilot scheme is an initiative by a working group, comprising representatives
from relevant bureaux and departments, to promote energy efficiency through the
use of fresh water for air conditioning system. It includes the Works Bureau,
the Environment and Food Bureau and eight departments, namely the Buildings Department,
Drainage Services Department , Electrical and Mechanical Services Department,
Environmental Protection Department, Department of Health, Lands Department, Planning
Department and Water Supplies Department. The aims of this pilot scheme are: *
to promote energy efficient water-cooled air conditioning systems; * to assess
the impacts of such systems in infrastructure; * to assess the health and environmental
effects of such systems; and * to provide information for studying the implementation
of water-cooled air-conditioning systems in Hong Kong. Under the scheme, owners
of existing or new non-domestic buildings in the designated areas may apply to
the Water Supplies Department for approval of water supplies, and send a copy
of the application to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department for vetting
of design and registration of the cooling towers. Applicants are also required
to submit plans on the construction of supporting framework for approval by Buildings
Department if a framework is required in the installation of cooling towers. The
location plans of all designated areas under the scheme can be viewed at EMSD
website: http://www.emsd.gov.hk . Detailed application procedures and the operation
and maintenance requirements are available from the Energy Efficiency Office of
the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department on 11/F, 111 Leighton Road,
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. For enquiries, please call 2882 8011. [Source:
Works Bureau, 31 May 2002] 4.
Consultancy for Wan Chai Development Phase II awarded
The Territory Development Department (TDD) today (June 4) awarded a consultancy
contract, at a cost of about $72.5 million, for the detailed design of the Wan
Chai Development Phase II (WDII) project to relieve the traffic congestion in
Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. The WDII project, which spans from Lung King Street,
Wan Chai, in the west to the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter in the east, is the
final phase of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation. The project will provide
land for essential transport infrastructures, including a trunk road, namely Central-Wan
Chai Bypass and the Island Eastern Corridor Link, the MTR North Hong Kong Island
Line and the fourth rail harbour crossing -- the Shatin to Central Link. The consultancy
will also cover the detailed design of associated road works including flyovers,
footbridges and roads as well as part of the tunnel structure of Central-Wan Chai
Bypass passing through Wan Chai. The design work will start immediately to prepare
for the commencement of construction works in mid 2004. Upon completion of the
trunk road and other proposed transport infrastructure, the traffic condition
of Wan Chai North and Causeway Bay will be greatly improved. Besides, the land
to be provided for key transport infrastructure and facilities will also pave
the way for the creation of an attractive waterfront with open plazas, landscaped
areas, and leisure, cultural and entertainment facilities. The consultancy contract,
which would create about 100 job opportunities, was signed today between the Director
of Territory Development, Mr Wong Hung-kin and a representative from the consultant,
Maunsell Consultants Asia Ltd. [Source:
Hong Kong Government, 4 June 2002] |  |
|
