For discussion PWSC(98-99)33
on 21 October 1998

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 706 - HIGHWAYS
Transport - Footbridges and pedestrian tunnels
125TB - Pedestrian subway at the junction of Kowloon Park Drive and Peking Road

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 125TB to Category A at an estimated cost of $50.4 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for constructing a pedestrian subway at the junction of Kowloon Park Drive and Peking Road.

PROBLEM

The existing at-grade pedestrian crossing of Kowloon Park Drive at Peking Road has insufficient capacity to cope with the current as well as future growth in pedestrian traffic.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Highways, with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade 125TB to Category A at an estimated cost of $50.4 million in MOD prices for the construction of a pedestrian subway at the junction of Kowloon Park Drive and Peking Road.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The scope of the project comprises -

1. construction of a 6-metre wide pedestrian subway across Kowloon Park Drive at the junction of Peking Road, with a lift and staircases at the eastern end and a connection to the basement of No. 1 Peking Road at the western end; and

2. associated drainage works, traffic signals/markings modification works, landscaping works and road works.

JUSTIFICATION

4. The existing at-grade pedestrian crossing of Kowloon Park Drive at Peking Road is operating at maximum capacity during peak hours. A pedestrian survey conducted in 1996 revealed that the weekend peak hour pedestrian flow at this crossing has exceeded 9 600 pedestrian per hour (pph). We anticipate that the re-development at No. 1 Peking Road in Canton Road will generate additional pedestrian load which will over-saturate the crossing. We forecast that the projected weekend peak hour pedestrian flow at the Kowloon Park Drive / Peking Road junction will exceed 12 000 pph by year 2001 and pedestrian safety problems will arise if the project is not implemented.

5. To alleviate the anticipated pedestrian traffic problems, we propose to replace the existing at-grade pedestrian crossing across Kowloon Park Drive at Peking Road by a pedestrian subway. This subway will have a design capacity of 20 000 pph to comfortably serve the pedestrians crossing Kowloon Park Drive at its junction with Peking Road. Because land is not available at the eastern end of the proposed subway to accommodate access ramps, we will provide staircases and a lift at that location to ensure access for the physically disabled. For the western end, we will connect it to the basement of the redevelopment in No.1 Peking Road and an extended section of the pedestrian subway funded by a private developer [ The developer of Lippo Sun Plaza has proposed and agreed to fund an extended section of the pedestrian subway to connect with the basement of the Plaza. We will incorporate this subway extension in the same construction contract for 125TB. ] ./FINANCIAL …..

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $50.4 million in MOD prices, made up as follows -

	$ million
(a) Pedestrian subway, associated ramps and staircases	19.0
(b) Subway electrical and mechanical works, including a lift	9.1
(c) Associated road, drainage, and landscaping works	2.0
(d) Consultant's fees (i) construction stage 5.4 (ii) resident site staff 1.1	6.5
(e) Contingencies	3.7
	_____
Sub-total	40.3	(at December 1997 prices)
(f) Inflation allowance	10.1
	_____
Total	50.4	(in MOD prices)
	_____

A breakdown by man-months of the estimate for consultants’ fees is at the Enclosure.

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

Year	$ million (Dec 1997)	Price adjustment factor	$ million (MOD)
1999 - 2000	12.0	1.14878	13.8
2000 - 01	17.0	1.24642	21.2
2001 - 02	9.5	1.35237	12.8
2002 - 03	1.8	1.46732	2.6
	_____		_____
	40.3		50.4
	_____		_____

8. We derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government's forecast of trend labour and construction prices over the period 1999 to 2003. We will tender the works under a standard lump sum contract. The contract will provide for adjustments to the contract price due to inflation because the contract period exceeds 21 months.

9. We estimate that the annually recurrent expenditure to be $360,000.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

10. We consulted the Traffic and Transport Committee and the Tsim Sha Tsui Area Committee of the Yau Tsim Mong District Board in November 1995 and January 1996 respectively. We also consulted the Urban Council in June 1997. The members of the two committees and the Council supported the proposed works.

11. We gazetted the proposed works under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance on 24 October 1997 and received no objections. The Secretary for Transport authorised the works on 23 February 1998.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

12. We completed an Environmental Review on the proposed pedestrian subway in June 1996. The report concluded that the proposed works would have no long term environmental impact and therefore an Environmental Impact Assessment is not required for the project. For short term impact during construction, we will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances to within established standards and guidelines through the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures in the works contract.

LAND ACQUISITION

13. The project does not require any land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

14. We upgraded 125TB to Category B in September 1994. We engaged consultants for the detailed design of the project in March 1997. We charged the cost of $2 million for the detailed design to 370TH - "Road improvement and pedestrian schemes in the Salisbury Road, Canton Road and Austin Road corridors - consultants’ fees and investigations".

15. We have completed the detailed design and drawings for the project. We plan to start construction works as soon as practicable after funding approval, in any case not later than March 1999. The works will take some 30 months inclusive from start to finish. We aim to complete the construction works by August 2001.

---------------------------------

Transport Bureau
October 1998
(125tbv3.doc)

Enclosure to PWSC(98-99)33

125TB - Pedestrian subway at the junction of Kowloon Park Drive
and Peking Road

Breakdown of estimates for consultants’ fees

Consultants’ staff costs		Estimated man months	Average MPS* salary point	Multiplier factor	Estimated fee ($ million)
(a) Consultants’ fees at construction stage	Professional Technical	5 3	40 20	3.0 3.0	0.9 0.2
(b) Resident site staff employed by the consultants	Professional Technical	15 69	40 20	2.1 2.1	1.9 3.5
					____
Total consultants’ staff costs					6.5
					____

* 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's offices. (At 1.4.97, MPS pt. 40 = $59,210 p.m., and MPS pt. 20 = $24,135 p.m.). A multiplier factor of 2.1 is applied in the case of site staff employed by the consultants.

2. Our agreement with the consultants provides for consultants’ administration fees at construction stage be paid according to a fee scale based on the cost of works. Estimates at (a) above agree with the estimates based on the fee scale and the estimated cost of works.

(125tbv3.doc)