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The Highways Department today (February 18) signed a $1,328 million contract with China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited for the reconstruction and improvement of a four-kilometre-long section of Tuen Mun Road (TMR) from Siu Lam to Tsing Lung Tau (Tai Lam section).
The contract is to reconstruct and improve the Tai Lam section of TMR to current expressway standard. The works include widening of traffic lanes, provision of hard shoulders and verges, construction of highway structures, and the associated environmental mitigation measures, drainage works, slope works and landscaping works.
The Director of Highways, Mr Wai Chi-sing, said at the contract signing ceremony that the reconstruction and improvement for the entire expressway section of TMR, which is a 15.5-kilometre-long dual three-lane expressway linking Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan, would be implemented under three works contracts. The first contract commenced construction in October last year at a cost of about $2,822 million, covering Tsuen Wan to Tsing Lung Tau. The second contract is the one signed today for the Tai Lam section. The third contract for the Sam Shing Hui section is in the tendering stage with a view to starting the works in late 2009. Upon completion of the whole project in 2014, TMR will be an up-to-standard expressway linking Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan. The three contracts will create more than 2,000 jobs, which will help improve the current employment situation.
Mr Wai added that the TMR Town Centre Section between Yan Oi Town Square and Wong Chu Road would also be widened from a dual two-lane to a dual three-lane carriageway, so as to meet the anticipated traffic growth after the commissioning of the Hong Kong – Shenzhen Western Corridor and the Deep Bay Link. The Highways Department would start the widening works under a separate contract by late 2009.
"The Highways Department is committed to providing the public with an efficient road and rail network. We have been actively pushing ahead with several large-scale infrastructure projects. This year, apart from the TMR project, we will launch several other roadworks and railway projects, including the widening of Tolo Highway from Island House Interchange to Tai Hang, the Central-Wanchai Bypass, West Island Line and Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. Implementation of these projects will create tens of thousands of jobs," Mr Wai said.
Ends/Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Issued at HKT 10:47
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