Three drainage tunnel schemes worth US$300M are set to get the green light on March 8 when Hong Kong’s Drainage Services Department (DSD) seeks finance to go-ahead with preliminary design work. The tunnels are part of larger projects worth a total of US$350M. The DSD has received the initial go-ahead from legislators on the public works subcommittee. Consequently, approval by the finance committee is largely assured.
Of the three, the largest project is a US$150M tunnelling and drainage scheme on the western and eastern sides of Hong Kong Island. The tunnel portion, worth about US$130M calls for the construction of a 3.8km, 4.9m dia, tunnel from Tai Hang Road to the Aberdeen tunnel and a 6.5km, 7.2m dia tunnel from the Aberdeen tunnel to Sandy Bay. Altogether, the tunnel runs north-east to south-west through Hong Kong Island. Tenders for the consultancy assignment are expected to be invited about now ready for work to start in August. Completion is in October 2005.
The second project, worth about US$100M, of which the tunnel component forms about US$88M, calls for the prelimary design of a 5.35km, 6.5m dia tunnel in the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung areas of Kowloon. DSD is set to invite tenders for the consultancy assignment ready for work to start in July with compeltion in 2005.
The final scheme involves tunnelling work in the Lai Chi Kok area as part of a larger west Kowloon drainage improvement. The overall cost of the scheme is worth about US$88M of which the tunnels comprise US$62M.
Work involves the construction of a 1.2km, 5.6m dia tunnel from Wai Man Tsuen near Lai Chi Kok to discharge into Victoria harbour near Stonecutters Island, with a 2.2km, 4m dia branch tunnel from the Chak On estate to Wai Man Tsuen and 800m of 1.5-2.5m dia collector tunnels in the Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan and Lai Chi Kok areas of Kowloon. The DSD will be inviting tenders ready to start site investigation and preliminary design in August this year with completion scheduled for 2005.
