9 LANDSCAPE WORKS

9.1 General

9.1.1 Landscape works shall be designed and implemented upon the satisfaction of Highways Department/Landscape Unit, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department for soft landscape areas, and Highways Department/Maintenance Division for hard landscape in accordance with WBTC No. 18/94.

9.1.2 The Contractors shall be responsible for implementing the recommended mitigation measures to minimise the landscape and visual impacts during the construction and operation of the DBL.

9.2 Mitigation Measures

9.2.1 Recommended landscape and visual mitigation measures for impacts caused during the construction and operation phase of the project are detailed as follows:

Construction Phase

• Limitation of the Contractor’s Works area at the landfall of the SWC to the Mangroves at the Coastal Protection Area.
• Minimisation of cut into existing slopes for the construction of the Road & Ramps.
• Excavated Material to be used for the filling of the proposed works so as to minimise haulage (Balancing cut and fill)
• Regular checks of works site boundaries
• Measures to ensure minimisation of soil erosion
• Refining position of columns to avoid sensitive landscape areas and significant trees.
• Careful positioning of construction plant to minimise the potential landscape and visual impacts
• Control of waste disposal, oil spillage etc. on site
• Control of night-time lighting
• Location of work sites should be carefully selected to minimise the potential landscape and visual impacts
• Replanting of disturbed vegetation should be undertaken and this should use predominantly native plant species.
• Screen hoarding, using decorative graphic and chromatic devise should be erected around the works wherever possible to screen works within the road corridor.
• Planting should be undertaken at the earliest possible stage during construction, and opportunities should be sought for undertaking any advance planting.
• Excavated topsoil to be conserved for reuse (maximum height of stockpiling is not exceed 2m)
• Transplanting mature trees with good amenity value.

Operation Phase

• Tree and shrub planting should be implemented at the road leading from the SWC to reduce the visual impact to the Deep Bay Road users
• Climbing plants should be used to soften the appearance of viaduct columns
• Woodland tree and shrub planting should be undertaken at the cut slope so as to compensate for vegetation lost during construction. Any affected slope areas should be hydroseeded and planted with woodland species, avoid shotcreting.
• Native shrub planting should be undertaken to screen the proposed works and blend it into the landscape.
• A wide buffer planting zone comprising berm and tree planting should be provided to screen the proposed works from the future residents at HSKNDA
• Planting should be implemented at the interchanges to reduce the visual impact to the future residents at the adjacent HSKNDA
• Planting should be specified to be undertaken at the earliest practical time in the construction period (entire site)
• Size and extent of noise barriers should be reduced as much as possible. Where noise barriers are unavoidable, sensitive architectural styling and chromatic treatment of the noise barriers is important in minimizing their visual impact on motorist and in elevated views from surrounding residential receivers. The advice from ACABAS should be fully incorporated.
• Planting should be incorporated where possible to screen the road in low level views from adjacent areas, and to tone down the extent of hard paving and reduce the amount of glare, especially in elevated views from the high rise tower blocks
• More ornamental tree and shrub planting should be undertaken at interchanges, to create a more colourful and decorative environment
• Sensitive architectural design of engineering and other built structures, including form and finishes, this will include but not limited to: barriers, paved surfaces, retaining walls, walls, columns, buildings, surface drainage elements on slope, and other structures, light standards, etc. The advice from ACABAS should be fully incorporated.
• Lighting of road should be designed to minimize glare to all receivers.
• Transplanting of Mature Tree stock
• Replacement of Mangroves as detailed in the Ecological Impact Report.
• Re-contouring of Mud Flat to original contours as detailed in the Ecological Report.
• Re-instatement of affected ponds.
• Wetland compensation and re-instatement of marsh.