9                         LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACTS

 

9.1                   Background

 

9.1.1             This section comprises an assessment of the landscape and visual impacts associated with the Improvement to Tung Chung Road between Lung Tseng Tau and Cheung Sha in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO). The assessment includes:

 

¨              a definition of the scope and contents of the study, including a description of the assessment methodology;

¨              a review of the relevant planning and development control framework;

¨              a baseline study providing a comprehensive description of the baseline landscape and visual character;

¨              recommendation of appropriate mitigation measures and associated implementation programmes: and

¨              identification of the potential landscape and visual impacts in both construction and operational Stages,  and prediction of their magnitude and potential significance, before and after the mitigation measures.

 

9.2                   Scope and Content of the Study

 

9.2.1             Project Description

 

9.2.1.1       The key elements of the proposed works that could have significant landscape or visual impact include :

 

¨              new carriageway between South Lantau Road to the east of Cheung Sha Sheung Tsuen and the existing Tung Chung Road just south of the ridgeline at Pak Kung Au, with associated road structures, slope works, drainage, lighting and street furniture.  A list of highway structures is given in Tables 9.1a and  9.1b below;

¨              bus-bay facilities at the junction of the new road with South Lantau Road, to the east of Cheung Sha Sheung Tsuen.

¨              on-line widening of Tung Chung Road, predominantly on the up-hill side, running south from Lung Tseng Tau Village at Tung Chung to a point just south of the ridgeline at Pak Kung Au;

¨              vertical (sound absorbing) noise barriers of between 1.5 and 4.5 metres high will be required at the northern end of Tung Chung Road, and beyond the physical limit of the improvement works.  These are intended to mitigate road traffic noise on the improved Tung Chung Road (to be confirmed by noise study);

¨              covered pipeline trench/cycle track running parallel to Tung Chung Road from Lung Tseng Tau Village to Shek Mun Kap Road;

¨              detailed ground investigation comprising bore-holes and trial pits along the length of the alignment;

¨              slope stabilisation works comprising the stabilisation of unstable boulders in the natural terrain above the new road, largely confined to the off-line sections of the road above the catchwater; and

¨              slope remediation works (minor trimming and soil nailing) to the existing section of Tung Chung Road from Pak Kung Au to South Lantau Road, which would be retained as a services corridor and emergency access.

 

Table 9.1a       Schedule of Bridge Structures

 

Structure

Ref.

HyD Ref.

Stream No.(1)

Start Ch.

End Ch.

Max Height(2) (m)

Length

(m)

Span(s) (m)

End

Middle

End

STR01

N302

10

2542

2545

1.8

2.60

-

2.60

-

STR02

N303

11

2613

2616

2.9

3.27

-

3.27

-

STR03

N304

12

2731

2733

1.8

2.45

-

2.45

-

STR04

N305

14

3023

3026

2.7

2.87

-

2.87

-

STR05

N306

15

3210

3215

3.7

4.62

-

4.62

-

STR06

(new)

22

3975

3995

3.8

20

-

20

-

STR07

(new)

25

4740

4760

4.9

20

-

20

-

STR08

(new)

26

4900

4968

19.6

68

21

26

21

STR09

(new)

27

5146

5166

4.6

20

-

20

-

STR10

(new)

28

5410

5450

9.7

40

20

-

20

STR11

(new)

29

5510

5534

6.3

24

-

24

-

STR12

(new)

31

5660

5680

5.8

20

-

20

-

STR13

(new)

32 & 33

5760

5850

14.7

90

15.75

3 x 19.5

15.75

STR14

(new)

34

5990

6010

9.6

20

-

20

-

STR15

(new)

35

6036

6060

3.3

24

-

24

-

STR16

(new)

gully

6180

6220

15.3

40

20

-

20

STR17

(new)

36 & 37

6340

6380

8.4

40

20

-

20

STR18

(new)

catchwater

6480

6484

2.5

4

-

4

-

STR19

(new)

39

6540

6564

13.7

24

-

24

-

STR20

(new)

40

6615

6635

6.9

20

-

20

-

STR21

(new)

41

7985

7005

2.7

20

-

20

-

Note    (1) : Stream numbers shown in Figure 6.1, Section 6 of this report.

             (2) : Measured from centre line of new road.

 

Table 9.1b  Schedule of Proposed Retaining Walls

Retaining Wall Reference

Start Chainage

End Chainage

Length

(m)

Max. Height

(m)

Use

Online

 

 

 

 

 

RW001

1145

1520

375

7.5

C

RW002

1582

1856

274

8

C

RW003

1968

2023

55

3

C

RW004

2090

2526

436

5

C

RW005

2558

2614

56

8

C

RW006

2618

2734

116

6

C

RW007

2740

3028

288

6

C

RW008

3034

3130

96

3

C

RW009

3170

3195

25

1

C

RW101

1636

1700

64

1.5

F

RW102

3160

3202

42

3

F

Off-line

 

 

 

 

 

RW010

3270

3360

90

8

C

RW011

3480

3620

140

8

C

RW012

3905

3955

50

6

C

RW013

4312

4342

30

4.5

C

RW014

4568

4680

112

7.5

C

RW015

4844

4880

36

5

C

RW016

4882

4900

18

8

F

RW017

5176

5236

60

4

C

RW018

5246

5270

24

3

C

RW019

5350

5405

55

7.5

C

RW020

5450

5463

13

2.5

F

RW021

5464

5500

36

2.5

C

RW022

5501

5510

9

4.5

F

RW023

5534

5650

116

3

C

RW024

5692

5732

40

4

C

RW025

5980

5990

10

5

F

RW026

6062

6165

103

6

C

RW027

6302

6338

36

4

C

RW028

6382

8480

98

8

C

RW029

6564

6570

6

5

F

RW030

5602

5614

12

5

F

RW031

6636

6648

12

5

F

RW032

7015

7175

160

8

C

RW103

3628

3672

44

2.5

F

RW104

4047

4112

65

4

F

RW105

4362

4456

94

8

C

RW106

4526

4650

124

3

F

RW107

4582

4666

84

5

F

RW108

4652

4740

88

9

F

RW109

4760

4862

102

5

F

RW110

4872

4898

26

9

F

RW111

4968

5146

178

8

F

RW112

5166

5200

34

5

F

RW113

5230

5366

136

9

F

RW114

5396

5410

14

7

F

RW115

5450

5510

60

5

F

RW116

5534

5660

126

4

F

RW117

5680

5760

80

4

F

RW118

5850

5884

34

5.5

F

RW119

5968

5990

22

6

F

RW120

6010

6036

26

6.5

F

RW121

6082

6128

46

2

F

RW122

6150

6180

30

5

F

RW123

6220

6254

34

9

F

RW124

6297

6340

43

8

F

RW125

6380

6396

16

5

F

RW126

6490

6540

50

6.5

F

RW127

6564

6582

18

5

F

RW128

6594

6615

21

5

F

RW129

6635

6650

15

5.5

F

RW130

6914

6985

71

5

F

RW131

7005

7018

13

4

F

Note: C - Cut slope / F = Fill embankment

 

9.2.1.2       A full description of the scope and extent of the proposed works associated with the improvement to Tung Chung Road is provided in Section 2 of the EIA Report.

 

9.2.2             Limits of the Study Area

 

9.2.2.1       The limit of study for the assessment of impacts on landscape resources and character is 500m on either side of the limit of the road works.  The limit of study for the visual impact studies are the zones of visual influence (ZVI's) of the works during the construction and operation Stages, which are illustrated in Figure 9.7A.  A Key plan of the study area is illustrated in Figure 9.5.

 

9.3                   Assessment Methodology

 

9.3.1             Landscape and visual impacts have been assessed separately for the construction, operational (opening day) and residual (Year 10) stages.  The assessments take into account existing/planned/approved land uses as baseline conditions, and assess all direct and indirect impacts on existing/planned/approved land uses, and on future outlook of the area.  Potential impacts are identified in terms of being beneficial/adverse, direct/indirect, short term/long term, and reversible/irreversible.

 

9.3.2             Impacts are determined in terms of significance thresholds, which are the product of the magnitude of change to baseline conditions due to the proposed Works and the sensitivity of resource/character/receivers.  In general terms, magnitude of change relates to parameters of the proposed Works in the context of baseline conditions, and sensitivity refers to properties of resource/character/receivers:

 

9.3.3             Where appropriate the cumulative impacts of other development proposals is considered.