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In response to media enquiries on the archaeological works and construction works progress of the Shatin to Central Link (SCL), the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) said today (June 18):
The Transport and Housing Bureau has been in liaison with the Development Bureau on the archaeological works at the works site of the To Kwa Wan Station of the SCL. The MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) has suspended the construction works in the area where the archaeological work is ongoing, except for those required for the archaeological excavation. As regards the area where the archaeological work was completed, the MTRCL may resume the construction works gradually.
The remains discovered at the MTRCL works site of the To Kwa Wan Station have been handled in accordance with archeological practices and established procedures. The archaeological finds unearthed were handled under the direction and supervision of the Antiquities and Monuments Office, and have been properly protected. It is anticipated that the relevant archaeological work could be completed by the third quarter of this year. After study and analysis, the Government will formulate appropriate preservation options and measures for all the archaeological finds discovered.
The THB's stance all along has been that the construction of the SCL needs to facilitate the archaeological works and the Antiquities Authority's decision on the way to handle the archaeological finds. The relevant archaeological works and discoveries have inevitably delayed the construction works, with the actual impact subject to detailed assessment. The Highways Department has been studying with the MTRCL the rearrangement of works sequence, the modification of originally planned construction methods, and the formulation of suitable options for any necessary modification of the station design, with a view both to preserving the archaeological discovery and minimising the impact on the works programme.
Ends/Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:35
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