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Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Hok-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, in the Legislative Council today (February 25):
Question:
On the 11th of this month, a fatal traffic accident occurred on an inclined section of Lam Kam Road near Ling Wan Monastery, arousing concern about the road safety of that road section. On the other hand, people and residents from the district have told me that the Highways Department (HyD) plans to defer by one year the works to upgrade the remaining sections of Lam Kam Road, which have originally been scheduled to commence at the end of 2010. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of traffic accidents which occurred on Lam Kam Road and the resultant casualties in each of the past three years;
(b) why HyD plans to defer the commencement of the upgrading works, the updated implementation timetable and estimated expenditure of the works, as well as what measures it will take to reduce traffic accidents before the works are completed; and
(c) whether it will actively consider expediting commencement of the works, so as to improve the road safety of the road section concerned; if it will not, of the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Lam Kam Road is a single two-lane road connecting Tai Po and Yuen Long. Improvements to the section of Lam Kam Road between Lam Kam Road Interchange and Kadoorie Farm were completed in the mid-1990s, with traffic lanes of the road section of about 6.5 kilometres (km) long widened to the standard. As for the remaining section of Lam Kam Road between Kadoorie Farm and Kam Tin Road, the traffic lanes thereof are not up to the current standards. The Government has planned to upgrade this section to meet the current standards, under the Public Works Programme (PWP) item "Upgrading of remaining sections of Kam Tin Road and Lam Kam Road" (the Project). The Highways Department (HyD) commenced the preliminary design of the Project in 2007 and is now conducting ground investigations and relevant impact assessments. HyD will begin the relevant statutory and administrative procedures later with a view to commencing the Project in early 2011.
For the various parts of the question by Hon Cheung Hok-ming, our reply is set out below -
(a) The figures of traffic accidents and casualties on Lam Kam Road from 2006 to 2008 are listed in the following two tables -
Section between Lam Kam Road Interchange
and Kadoorie Farm
2006 2007 2008
Number of accidents 15 11 18
Casualties
Fatal 0 0 0
Serious 3 4 0
Slight 16 14 22
Section between Kadoorie Farm and Kam Tin Road
2006 2007 2008
Number of accidents 9 6 8
Casualties
Fatal 0 0 0
Serious 0 0 0
Slight 11 6 10
(b) The Project was upgraded to Category B under the PWP in 2007. Construction works were originally scheduled to start before end 2010. However, in the course of conducting the geotechnical assessments under the preliminary design, it came to HyD's attention that extensive slope works were required to ensure that the roadside slopes would meet the current safety standards. As such, HyD had to broaden the study area of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) made in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap. 499), and the time for the EIA was thus lengthened. According to the current progress, the Project will have its commencement date slightly put back to early 2011.
The Project involves improving sections of Kam Tin Road of about 3.9 km long and Lam Kam Road of about 1.3 km long. Both sections are single two-lane carriageways. To maintain the roads for traffic on both directions, the works will be phased and are expected to take five years to complete. The estimated project cost is about $200 million.
Before construction works start, the Transport Department (TD) and HyD will continue to consider and implement short-term improvement measures (such as laying anti-skid materials on the roads, installing crash barriers and adding traffic warning signs) based on the actual road condition, in order to reduce the chance of accidents occurring. Moreover, during the construction period, the Administration will devise temporary traffic arrangements (TTAs) and set up a site traffic liaison group comprising representatives of the Police, TD, HyD and other concerned parties. The liaison group will closely monitor the relevant TTAs and ensure their smooth operation.
(c) HyD has completed the preliminary design for the Project and will shortly consult the Yuen Long District Council and the Pat Heung Rural Committee. It will proceed thereafter with the statutory and administrative procedures required before the commencement of the construction works, including the public exhibition of the EIA report, gazettal of the scheme under the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Cap. 370) and seeking funding approval from the Legislative Council after authorisation. We will shorten the time necessary for the above procedures as much as possible for the early commencement of the works.
Ends/Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Issued at HKT 16:41
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