2 PROJECT
DESCRIPTION
2.1 Site
Location
2.2 EIA
Study Area
2.3 Project
Requirements, Scope and Benefits
2.4 Construction
Methods and Engineering Requirements
2.5 Operation
of the Project
2.6 Works
Programme
2.7 Related
Projects
2
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
2.1
Site Location
2.1.1
Road
P2 runs east-west from Central to connections with the existing road network in
Wan Chai North. The section of Road P2
to be implemented under the WDII project starts at the boundary of CRIII at the
west and connects to the existing Hung Hing
Road at the east.
Road P2 is a dual 2-lane primary distributor that serves both local
east-west movements and the distribution of north-south traffic movements. The
location of Road P2 and other roads which are classified as primary/district
distributor roads under the WDII project is shown in Figure 1.2b.
2.2
EIA Study Area
2.2.1
The
following definitions of the study areas have been adopted with reference to
the EIA Study Brief registered under the EIAO:
·
Air
Quality Impact: the assessment area should include the area within 500 m from the boundary of the Project;
·
Noise
Impact Assessment: the assessment area should include the area within 300 m from the boundary of the Project;
·
Water
Quality Impact Assessment: the assessment area should include the areas within
and 300m extended beyond the boundary of
the Project, plus the Victoria Harbour Water Control Zone (WCZ), the Eastern
Buffer WCZ and the Western Buffer WCZ as declared under the Water Pollution
Control Ordinance;
·
Waste
Management: the assessment will focus on areas within the boundary of the
Project;
·
Land
Contamination: the assessment area for land contamination impact will include
any potentially contaminated sites identified in this EIA;
·
Landscape
and Visual Impact: the area for
landscape impact assessment should include all areas within 100 m extended from the boundary of the Project,
while the assessment area for the visual impact assessment should be defined by
the visual envelope from the Project and associated works;
·
Marine
Ecology: the assessment for marine ecological impact will focus on the area
within the Project boundary; and
·
Cultural
Heritage Impact: the assessment for cultural heritage impact will focus on the
area within the Project boundary.
2.3
Project Requirements, Scope and
Benefits
Project Scope and Requirements
2.3.1
The
major element of the future ground level road system is Road P2, which runs
east-west from Central to connections with the existing road network in Wan
Chai North. Road P2 is a dual 2-lane
primary distributor that serves both local east-west movements and the
distribution of north-south traffic movements.
2.3.2
The
Road P2 alignment has been planned to run over the top of the Trunk Road tunnel
through CRIII and the HKCEC water channel, to the connection with Fleming Road, in order to minimize the overall
road “footprint” and area of land sterilized by highway infrastructure. New
junctions are formed along Road P2 with the north-south roads.
2.3.3
Along
the Wan Chai shoreline, the existing Hung Hing
Road in front of the Wan Chai North PTI is
realigned to connect with the new Road P2 / Fleming Road junction, but the current Hung Hing Road
alignment in front of the Wan Chai Sports Ground is retained. The retention further east of existing Hung Hing Road
alignment and existing Hung Hing Road Flyover means there is no intrusion by
new roads into the new Wan Chai waterfront area.
2.3.4
The
at-grade road network also provides connections to slip roads of the Trunk Road
at Wan Chai North area.
2.3.5
All
existing road connections from Wan Chai North to the Wan Chai area south of Gloucester Road are maintained.
Project
Benefits
2.3.6
The
primary distributor serves both local east-west movements and the distribution
of north-south traffic movements. The
new junction with Fleming Road
/ Hung Hing Road
will improve traffic conditions along Fleming
Road, by moving the critical bottleneck junctions
(Fleming Road
/ Hung Hing Road
and Fleming Road
/ Harbour Road)
further apart to alleviate the current congestion caused by tailbacks along Fleming Road
through Harbour Road.
2.3.7
The
at-grade road network provides connections to slip roads of the Trunk Road at
Wan Chai North area. The slip road connections are essential in meeting traffic
demand and enabling the Trunk Road to adequately perform its function of
relieving traffic from the overloaded Connaught Road Central / Harcourt Road / Gloucester Road
corridor.
Consequences of Not Proceeding
with the Project
Not able to
relieve traffic congestion
2.3.8
The
primary distributor is important in serving both local east-west movements and
the distribution of north-south traffic movements. Without the primary distributor, most of the
critical junctions in Wan Chai north area will have negative reserve
capacities. Most of the traffic from the
Central waterfront heading east would access to Connaught Road Central causing
the junction of Connaught Road
and Connaught Place
to operate over capacity. The junction
of Fleming Road
and Harbour Road
would operate over capacity during the AM peak which reveals that the traffic
congestion problem along Fleming
Road and Harbour
Road would remain unresolved.
2.3.9
Without
the slip road connections, the Trunk Road cannot adequately perform its
function of relieving traffic from the overloaded Connaught Road Central / Harcourt Road / Gloucester Road
corridor.
Development Alternatives
2.3.10
Different
scenarios for the road networks (e.g. with and without the Road P2 and Wan Chai
slip road connections) have been examined in the Envisioning Stage - Expert
Panel Forum on Sustainable Transport Planning and Central-Wan Chai Bypass in
September 2005. Details shall refer to
the “Submission to the Expert Panel by Transport Department” and the
“Supplementary Note to the Expert Panel by Transport Department”, which can be
viewed at the HEC website:
http://www.harbourfront.org.hk/eng/content_page/envis_stage.html?s=1. The
Expert Panel recognizes the need for Road P2 and supports the provision of slip
roads at the Wan Chai area to magnify the benefits of the CWB. The Report of the Expert Panel can also be
viewed on the
HEC website at: http://www.harbourfront.org.hk/eng/content_page/doc/report_of_the_expert_panel.pdf.
2.4
Construction Methods and Engineering Requirements
2.4.1
Road
P2 in WDII is an at-grade road. The construction method for Road P2 is
similar to typical at-grade road works construction with sub-base, road
drainages, road surfacing, traffic signs, road lightings, road markings, road
junctions and central reserve etc.
2.5
Operation of the Project
2.5.1
Operational
activities, on completion of the DP2, would comprise essentially traffic
movements on the new roads.
2.6
Works Programme
2.6.1
The Road P2 and other ground
level roads construction works are anticipated to commence on site in 2014,
with completion of the works by 2016. A
construction programme is presented in Appendix
2.5 for reference.
2.7
Related Projects
2.7.1
The following projects are
related to the WDII and CWB project:
(i)
Civil Engineering and
Development Department's CRIII project, comprising reclamation along the
Central waterfront for transport infrastructure needs (including CWB and NIL)
and basic land use requirements. A
section of CWB tunnel will also be constructed under CRIII project. Construction will take place from February
2003 to September 2012.
(ii)
Trade Development Council’s
Atrium Link Extension project, comprising a link bridge spanning across the
water channel between the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC)
Phase I and HKCEC Extension.
Construction will take place from May 2006 to March 2009.