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The Highways Department has commissioned Atkins China Ltd for the design and construction of the Central Kowloon Route (CKR) earlier this month.

The $78.8 million consultancy agreement, which came into effect on Monday (June 1), has started with a 12-month review to confirm the alignment of the CKR tunnels as well as to carry out environmental, traffic and drainage impact assessments.

At the same time, preliminary design and site investigation works will also be carried out. This will be followed by detailed design works.

Scope of the CKR project includes:

1. a 2.6-km dual-two lane road tunnel between the West

Kowloon Reclamation and the future south-east Kowloon

development;

2. access roads at the western end of CKR to link with

the Yau Ma Tei interchange of the West Kowloon

Highway;

3. access roads at the eastern end of CKR to link with

the road network of the future south-east Kowloon

development;

4. administration and ventilation buildings; and

5. associated environmental, geotechnical, landscape,

drainage, electrical and mechanical works.

Works are expected to commence in 2003 for completion in 2007. The Government will, however, closely monitor the overall progress with a view to advancing the construction works whenever possible.

Speaking on the CKR, the Project Manager of the Major Works Project Management Office of the Highways Department, Mr Robert Lloyd, pointed out that the project, when completed, would help relieve congestion on the existing east-west roads and cater for the anticipated east-west traffic demand across Central Kowloon.

He said: "Planned developments on the West Kowloon Reclamation and the future south-east Kowloon development will generate substantial traffic demand across Central Kowloon.

"The completion of Lung Cheung Road improvement works later this year will improve east-west traffic flow in the north of Kowloon. However, other east-west road links across Central Kowloon, such as Boundary Street, Prince Edward Road and Argyle Street, remain congested.

"Owing to their frontage access requirements and the number of signal-controlled junctions, the capacity of these roads cannot be radically improved.

"The proposed CKR will provide a high capacity segregated trunk road for the east-west traffic in Central Kowloon."

Regarding the design of CKR, Mr Lloyd said it was very difficult to find a new ground level route in such a congested area.

A recent feasibility study, completed in January this year, confirmed the viability of a dual-two lane side-by-side tunnel in the west, a bored tunnel in rock through the centre of Kowloon and a double-deck tunnel in the east.

"This design has taken into consideration connection opportunities with the existing and planned road networks, geotechnical conditions, rehousing requirements, demolition and clearance and traffic impacts as well as implementation costs and risks," he added.

The estimated cost of the works is $4.7 billion (at December 1997 price level).

End/Wednesday, June 3, 1998

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