Consent given for full resumption of works for public housing development project at North West Kowloon Reclamation Site 1 (East)
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"The works of the project were suspended on June 29, 2020, as a reading recorded in a utility settlement monitoring checkpoint installed at the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL)'s underground water cooling mains at Tung Chau Street near the Tonkin Street junction had slightly exceeded the pre-set trigger level," the spokesman said. "Based on the investigation report and the mitigation measures proposal submitted previously by the building professional team of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA), the Independent Checking Unit (ICU) under the Office of the Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing (Housing) approved the works in an area outside a 30-metre distance from the MTRCL's affected underground water cooling mains to be resumed on February 6, 2021."
The HA's building professional team subsequently submitted to the MTRCL and the ICU a proposal of mitigation and monitoring measures within a 30m distance from the affected underground water cooling mains to alleviate the effects of the works on the safe operation of the railway and the railway facilities, and requested full resumption of works.
The ICU and the MTRCL have confirmed the safety of the railway facilities concerned. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) has reviewed the relevant report submitted by the MTRCL in relation to the safe operation of the railway and confirmed that the condition of the railway fulfilled the operational safety requirements. The EMSD has also confirmed that the MTRCL has put in place stringent monitoring measures to ensure the safety of railway operation.
Having considered the above advice, the request for full resumption of works was accepted and the remaining works suspended have been resumed starting from today. Having considered the detailed engineering analyses and revised plans submitted by the HA's building professional team, the ICU has accepted the pre-set trigger level for the affected underground water cooling mains to be revised to 66 millimetres. The MTRCL has also confirmed that the revised trigger level will not affect the safety of railway operation.
The ICU, the EMSD and the MTRCL will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure the safety of the railway facilities and the safe operation of the railway.
Ends/Friday, October 29, 2021
Issued at HKT 15:35
Issued at HKT 15:35
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