Agenda Item 5 : Improvement to
Tung Chung Road between Lung Tseng Tau and Cheung Sha
(ACE-EIA Paper 15/2001)
30. The Chairman welcomed SE(NSL)/HyD,
PD/MAL, EIATL/MAL and ETL/MAL to the meeting. SE(NSL)/HyD
started off with the background of the project, followed by
a detailed comparison of the alignment options by PD/MAL.
SE(NSL)/HyD then highlighted the future usage of obsolete
sections of Tung Chung Road.
31. In response to the Chairman's question,
PD/MAL said that they intended to submit the EIA report
to EPD in mid-February 2002.
32. Noting that a twin tube tunnel with two
lanes in each tube as proposed in options N3 and N4 would
be more costly and cause more adverse environmental impacts,
a Member asked whether the consultants had considered
building a single tube tunnel for one way traffic while using
the existing Tung Chung Road for opposite traffic. In reply,
SE(NSL)/HyD said that they had considered the combination.
PD/MAL elaborated that using the existing Tung Chung
Road for one-way traffic road was not favoured due to its
substandard design. Even if the tunnel were single-tubed,
considerable earthwork would still be required which would
not only have adverse impacts on the nearby streams but also
increase the construction costs.
33. On a Member's question on vehicular speed
of the new road, PD/MAL said that the design speed
would be 70 km per hour but the maximum speed allowed would
be set at 50 km per hour for the sake of safety. SE(NSL)/HyD
elaborated that only the radii of curvatures at the road bends
could meet the design standard of 70 km per hour. The maximum
gradient of the road would be 15% and hence the maximum speed
allowed would be set at 50 km per hour.
34. As a follow up question, a Member
asked whether there would be any benefits in terms of site
footprint and environmental impacts if the road was designed
to a standard lower than 70 km per hour. In response, PD/MAL
explained that there would be no difference because the preferred
alignment was relatively straight and there was no point in
designing the road bends to a lower design standard.
35. A Member felt that the provision
of roads often failed to catch up with rising demand. He appreciated
the importance of conserving the natural environment of Hong
Kong but it was equally important to allow room for economic
growth, in this case tourism, by designing a road to accommodate
the future demand. In this regard, he asked whether the project
proponent had taken into account potential demand from both
local residents and overseas tourists. In response, PD/MAL
said that as a usual practice for this kind of development
project, they had considered the estimated population figures
and other planning assumptions in the South West New Territories
Development Strategy Review (SWNTDSR) provided by the Planning
Department. SD(NSL)/HyD supplemented that Planning
Department had advised that South Lantau would be used for
conservation and recreation purposes. According to the traffic
forecast which had taken into account the cable car project,
the new road upon completion could cater for traffic demand
for 15 years.
36. A Member asked whether the project
proponent would take into account the traffic demand in the
event that a link with Zhuhai was established in the near
future. SE(NSL)/HyD said that traffic forecast was
based on planning assumptions in the SWNTDSR given by the
Planning Department. Another Member pointed out that
the Subcommittee had supported the plan to develop South Lantau
for conservation and recreation purposes as set out in the
SWNTDSR. Hence, it was important that while catering for traffic
demand, the primary objective of the project was to improve
the safety of Tung Chung Road with minimum impacts on the
environment. A third Member agreed.
37. A Member noted that a pipe would
be installed to carry away site run-offs from the road at
the construction stage. He asked whether the pipe would become
a permanent feature upon completion of the project. PD/MAL
said the pipe would be maintained to collect road runoff after
completion of the road so as to reduce pollution to the Tung
Chung Stream.
38. Referring to Section A-A on Annex D of
the paper, a Member asked whether the grassed verge
could be used as a cycling path for the local residents who
had raised this question to him. In reply, PD/MAL said
that the road was not recommended for cycling as it was too
steep for that purpose.
39. In reply to a Member's question on the
need for the grassed verge, SE(NSL)/HyD said that a
2-meter wide verge was the minimum requirement to accommodate
the existing and planned utility services required.
40. In reply to a Member's question, PD/MAL
said that S1 would cause less noise impacts than S3 because
the villages were located more closely to S3 than to S1 and
the plantation woodland along S1 could help screening off
Cheung Sha Sheung Tsuen from traffic noise
41. On a Member's question, PD/MAL
said that they would minimize the visual impacts for S1 by
putting screen planting on the short retaining wall in front
of the road to help mask it at the hillside. The plantation
woodland alongside the section of the road could also serve
to reduce the visual impacts.
42. A Member noted that Annex D showed
that there would be 12 bridges on the proposed alignment and
urged the consultants to pay special attention to the construction
impacts of the bridges to the streams in the EIA. PD/MAL
replied that the impacts would be assessed in the EIA report.
43. The Chairman thanked the proponent
and consultants for the briefing and emphasized that the exchange
of views would not pre-empt the future discussion and views
of the Subcommittee when the EIA report was formally submitted
under the EIAO.
Agenda Item 6 : Any Other Business
Monthly Update of Applications under EIAO
44. Members noted the updates.
Tentative Items for Next Meeting
45. The Chairman informed Members that
the EIA report on "Demolition of Kwai Chung Incineration
Plant" was scheduled for discussion at the next
meeting. Also, the representatives of the Hong Kong Construction
Association would discuss with the Subcommittee the importance
of ensuring the practicability of mitigation measures.
46. The Chairman relayed the request
from the Transport Bureau that KCRC would like to have an
informal dialogue with the Subcommittee to exchange views
on the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spur Line project on 19
November 2001. Two Members recalled that at the last
ACE meeting, the Chairman also encouraged the project proponent
to have an early exchange of views with the Subcommittee before
formal submission of the EIA report under the EIAO.
|