PWSC(97-98)103
For discussion
on 21 January 1998
ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS
SUBCOMMITTEE OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 707 - NEW TOWNS AND URBAN AREA DEVELOPMENT
New Territories West Development
Transport - Roads
52TH - Route 5 - section between Shek Wai Kok and Chai Wan Kok
Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee -
- the upgrading of part of 52TH, entitled "Route 5 - section between Shek Wai Kok and Chai Wan Kok : site investigation and consultants' fees", to Category A at an estimated cost of $85 million in money-of-the-day prices; and
- the retention of the remainder of 52TH in Category B.
PROBLEM
We need to carry out site investigations and detailed design for the remaining section of Route 5 between Shek Wai Kok and Chai Wan Kok which will help relieve the traffic congestion in Tsuen Wan.
PROPOSAL
2. The Director of Territory Development, with the support of the Secretary for Transport, proposes to upgrade part of 52TH to Category A at an estimated cost of $85 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for site investigations and the engagement of consultants to undertake detailed design for the remaining section of Route 5 between Shek Wai Kok and Chai Wan Kok in Tsuen Wan.
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
3. The full scope of 52TH comprises -
- construction of about 2 kilometres of dual 2-lane carriageway from Cheung Pei Shan Road at Shek Wai Kok to Castle Peak Road at Tsuen King Circuit;
- widening and upgrading of an existing section of Castle Peak Road between Tsuen King Circuit and Chai Wan Kok to dual 4-lane carriageway (about 700 metres in length);
- construction of a flyover across the Mass Transit Railway tracks at the Tsuen Wan depot and a flyover across Castle Peak Road in the vicinity of its junction with Tsuen King Circuit;
- construction of a flyover and an underpass to connect Castle Peak Road with Tuen Mun Road at Chai Wan Kok Interchange;
- associated roadworks, drainage and sewerage works, slope works, waterworks and landscaping works; and
- the provision of noise mitigation measures.
4. The part of the project we now propose to upgrade to Category A covers the detailed design for the engineering works described in paragraph 3 above, which comprises -
- site investigation works;
- detailed design for the proposed engineering works; and
- preparation of tender documents and assessment of tenders.
JUSTIFICATION
5. Route 5 is a dual-carriageway connecting Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan via the Shing Mun Tunnels. The section of Route 5 between Sha Tin and Shek Wai Kok, Tsuen Wan was completed in 1990. The remaining section of Route 5 is the one between Shek Wai Kok and Chai Wan Kok under 52TH.
6. At present, through traffic on Route 5 between the Shing Mun Tunnels and Tuen Mun Road/Castle Peak Road had to pass through the congested road network within Tsuen Wan. During peak hours, local road junctions in the area operate at full capacity. Traffic congestion occurs in the approaches to Castle Peak Road (Tsuen Wan Section) between Sha Tsui Road and Sai Lau Kok Road, in the Kowloon bound direction in the morning and in the Tuen Mun bound direction in the evening. The proposed section of Route 5 will provide a direct trunk road link between the Shing Mun Tunnels and Tuen Mun Road as well as a local link to western Tsuen Wan. It will help relieve the present traffic congestion in the area. We plan to start the construction works of this section of Route 5 in early 2000 for completion in late 2006. To tie in with this programme, we need to start the detailed design in July 1998 for completion in December 1999.
7. Due to insufficient in-house resources, we propose to engage consultants to supervise the site investigation works and to carry out the detailed design. Government's term contractor and the Public Works Central Laboratory will undertake the necessary site investigations and laboratory testing respectively.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
8. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $85 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 9 below), made up as follows -
|
|
|
$ million |
|
| (a) |
Site investigation |
|
25.0
|
| (b) |
Consultants' fees |
|
37.0
|
|
(i) supervision of site investigation |
1.6
|
|
(ii) detailed design |
33.1
|
|
(iii) preparation of tender documents and assessment of tenders
|
2.3
|
| (c) |
Contingencies |
|
6.2
|
|
Sub-total
|
68.2
|
(at December
1996 prices)
|
| (d) | Inflation allowance | | 16.8
|
| Total | 85.0 | (in MOD prices)
|
A breakdown by man months of the estimate for consultants' fees is at the Enclosure. We will award the proposed consultancy on a lump sum basis. The contract will provide for inflation adjustments as the consultancy period will exceed 12 months.
9. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows -
|
Year
|
$ million
(Dec 1996)
|
Price
adjustment
factor
|
$ million
(MOD) |
|
1998-1999
|
15.0
|
1.16358
|
17.5
|
|
1999-2000
|
53.2
|
1.26830
|
67.5 |
|
68.2
|
|
85.0 |
10. We have derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government's forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1998 to 2000.
11. The proposed consultancy has no recurrent financial implications.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
12. We consulted the Traffic and Transport Committee of the Tsuen Wan District Board on 10 March 1993 and 23 July 1993 on the preliminary layout of the proposed road scheme. Members supported the scheme.
13. In February 1995, we completed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for the section of Route 5 between Shek Wai Kok and Chai Wan Kok. The study report recommended some mitigation measures to control the noise impact arising from the proposed project to within established standards and guidelines. These measures include paving of low noise road surfacing, construction of noise barriers and noise enclosures. On 27 March 1995, we consulted the Environmental Affairs Committee of the Tsuen Wan District Board on the proposed environmental impact mitigation measures. Members supported the road scheme on traffic grounds, but expressed reservations with regard to the noise impact during construction and upon completion of the project.
14. On 3 April 1995, we consulted the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE) on the EIA study report and presented the views of the Tsuen Wan District Board Members. The ACE endorsed the study report on the condition that complaint hotline would be provided during the construction period to handle complaints from nearby residents.
15. We gazetted the road scheme under the Roads (Works, Use and
Compensation) Ordinance on 28 April 1995. We received twelve objections. The objections were mainly lodged by members of the Tang Clan who objected to the road scheme on fung shui grounds. We did not succeed in persuading the objectors to withdraw their objections. On 17 June 1997, the then Governor in
Council overruled the objections in the public interest and authorized the road scheme with modifications. The modifications involve the addition of a footway on the top of a section of the retaining wall near the Tang Clan ancestral grave and conversion of part of a footway to a road carriageway at the junction of Sha Tsui Road and Castle Peak Road.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
16. The proposed consultancy will not have any environmental implications. We will incorporate all the findings and recommendations of the EIA study into the detailed design and relevant works contracts.
LAND ACQUISITION
17. The proposed consultancy does not require any land acquisition.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
18. In April 1990, we completed the first phase of Route 5 connecting Sha Tin and Shek Wai Kok in Tsuen Wan (including Shing Mun Tunnels) under 288TH "Route 5 - section between Wo Yi Hop and Shek Wai Kok" and 173TH "Route 5 - Sha Tin to Tsuen Wan, Shing Mun Section".
19. We upgraded 52TH to Category B in April 1991 for the remaining phase of Route 5. We started the preliminary design of the project in early 1992. The progress of the preliminary design was however hindered by strong objections from the Tang Clan to the proposed road layout. As a result of the negotiation with the Tang Clan and the need to look into alternative road alignments, we could not complete the preliminary design until early 1995. A further 26 months was needed to complete the necessary statutory procedures under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (see paragraph 15 above).
Transport Bureau
January 1998
Enclosure to PWSC(97-98)103
52TH - Route 5 - section between Shek Wai Kok and Chai Wan Kok
Breakdown of the estimate for consultants' fees
|
|
|
|
Average
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
|
MPS*
|
|
Estimated |
|
man
|
salary
|
Multiplier
|
fee |
|
Consultants' staff costs
|
|
months
|
point
|
factor
|
($ million) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(a)
|
Supervision of site investigation
|
Professional Technical
|
5
15
|
40
16
|
3.0
3.0
|
0.8
0.8 |
|
(b)
|
Detailed design
|
Professional Technical
|
125
220
|
40
16
|
3.0
3.0
|
20.8
12.3 |
|
(c)
|
Preparation of tender documents and assessment of tenders
|
Professional Technical
|
7
20
|
40
16
|
3.0
3.0
|
1.2
1.1 |
|
Total consultants' staff costs
|
|
|
|
|
37.0 |
*MPS = Master Pay Scale
Notes
- 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.)
- The figures given above are based on estimates prepared by the Director of Territory Development. We will only know the actual man months and fees when we have selected the consultants through the normal competitive system.
