A Government spokesman said today (November 30) that consent has been given to resume the foundation works for Kai Tak Ventilation Building and Administration Building under the Central Kowloon Route project.

     The spokesman said that since settlement exceeding the pre-set trigger level for works suspension was recorded at the monitoring checkpoints installed on the service road adjacent to Kai Tak Tunnel Administration Building on September 30, all the above-mentioned foundation works were suspended on the same day. The Highways Department (HyD) immediately inspected and confirmed the structural safety of the service road concerned, nearby structures and public facilities, and subsequently announced the situation on October 3.

     The Contractor responsible for the said construction works submitted to the HyD an investigation report after the incident, and proposed implementing appropriate mitigation measures, including grouting works to stabilise the ground. Regarding the geotechnical engineering aspect, the HyD has consulted the Geotechnical Engineering Office on the effectiveness of the proposed mitigation measures in minimising the impact of the works on the service road concerned and the structural safety of the nearby structures and public facilities. Having completed the repair works for the service road concerned and the ground improvement works nearby, the Contractor requested for resumption of suspended works.

     The HyD and the Independent Checking Engineer have inspected the service road adjacent to Kai Tak Tunnel Administration Building, the nearby structures and public facilities again and confirmed that all of them are structurally safe. The Architectural Services Department has also inspected and confirmed the structural safety of Kai Tak Tunnel Administration Building. Regarding the resumption of works, the HyD has confirmed that this will not pose an adverse impact on the structural safety of the facilities concerned, and that the Contractor has already implemented stringent monitoring measures to ensure that the facilities concerned are structurally and operationally safe. 

     Having considered the above advice, the request for resumption of works was accepted yesterday (November 29), and the previously suspended foundation works resume today. In view of the condition of the service road adjacent to Kai Tak Tunnel Administration Building, the HyD has imposed additional conditions when giving consent to the works resumption, requesting the Contractor to implement a series of measures when carrying out the remaining construction works, including strict adherence to the enhanced construction sequences for the foundation works, in order to strengthen the site supervision and safety. The service road concerned has already been repaired and the pre-set trigger level of settlement for works suspension remains unchanged.

     The spokesman said the HyD will continue to closely monitor the situation to ensure the structural and operational safety of the service road, the nearby structures and public facilities.

Ends/Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Issued at HKT 11:00

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