Section Title Page
Figure 2.1 Project
Area – Description of Works
Figure 2.1a Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 1 of 11)
Figure 2.1b Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 2 of 11)
Figure 2.1c Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 3 of 11)
Figure 2.1d Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 4 of 11)
Figure 2.1e Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 5 of 11)
Figure 2.1f Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 6 of 11)
Figure 2.1g Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 7 of 11)
Figure 2.1h Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 8 of 11)
Figure 2.1i Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 9 of 11)
Figure 2.1j Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 10 of 11)
Figure 2.1k Project
Area – Description of Works (Sheet 11 of 11)
Figure 2.2 BCP
Preferred Layout
Figure 2.3 Refined
Connecting Road Alignment Options
Figure 2.4 Indicative
Locations of Potential Concurrent Projects
Appendices
Appendix 2.1 Tentative
Construction Programme
Appendix 2.2 Summary
Timeline of Concurrent Projects
Appendix 2.3 Summary
of Design Alternatives considered during the Feasibility Study
Appendix 2.4 Difference between the Current Alignment and
the Old Alignment from the EIA Study Brief
There are currently four existing BCPs that
provide vehicular crossing at the
It is anticipated that the volume of cross-boundary traffic will continue to increase with the closer ties of Hong Kong-Shenzhen and the completion of the planned Eastern Corridor in Shenzhen. Therefore, it was identified necessary to establish a new BCP in the eastern part of Hong Kong-Shenzhen boundary to meet the future traffic demand and re-distribute cross-boundary traffic amongst the crossings in the east.
In December 2006, the Hong Kong Government and the Shenzhen Government jointly commissioned a study entitled “Preliminary Planning Study on Developing Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Control Point” (hereafter referred to as “the Joint Study”) to examine the need, benefit and function of a new BCP at LT/HYW. The Joint Study confirmed the need for a new BCP at LT/HYW.
In January 2007, the Planning Department commissioned a consultancy study entitled “Planning Study on Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Cross-boundary Control Point and its Associated Connecting Roads in Hong Kong – Feasibility Study” (hereafter referred to as “the Feasibility Study”) to examine the land, planning, traffic and engineering implications and its associated connecting road within Hong Kong territory for the LT/HYW BCP. With evaluation of a number of alternative options, the Feasibility Study (FS) put forward a preferred layout of the LT/HYW BCP and preferred alignment of the LT/HYW BCP connecting road.
On 18 September 2008, at the second meeting of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development, the two Governments endorsed the major findings of the Joint Study and jointly announced to implement the LT/HYW BCP after the meeting on the following basis:
(a)
The LT/HYW BCP would adopt the separate-location
model but design of the BCP should maximize convenience to users including the
construction of an integrated passenger hall over the
(b)
The LT/HYW BCP on Hong Kong side would require
resumption and resite of
(c) The connecting road with the LT/HYW BCP on Hong Kong side would adopt the alignment leading to Tolo/Fanling Highway in the eastern direction; and
(d)
The design and construction of the LT/HYW BCP
should be packaged with the improvement works of Liantang section of the
Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Ltd. (MMHK) was commissioned by the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) on 24 April 2009 under Agreement No. CE 45/2008 (CE) to provide professional services to address issues related to the planning, design and construction of the Project and to work out details of the Project to an extent to enable CEDD to take forward the Project to the detailed design and construction stages.
2.2 Project Components
The Project consists of two main components, construction of a BCP; and construction of a connecting road alignment.
The
proposed BCP is located at the boundary with Shenzhen near the existing
The connecting road alignment consists of six main sections:
1.
Lin Ma
Hang to Frontier Closed Area (FCA) Boundary – this section comprises at-grade and
viaducts and includes the improvement works at
2. Ping Yeung to Wo Keng Shan – this section stretches from the Frontier Closed Area Boundary to the tunnel portal at Cheung Shan and comprises at-grade and viaducts including an interchange at Ping Yeung;
3. North Tunnel – this section comprises the tunnel segment at Cheung Shan and includes a ventilation building at the portals on either end of the tunnel;
4.
5. South Tunnel – this section comprises a tunnel segment that stretches from Loi Tung to Fanling and includes a ventilation building at the portals on either end of the tunnel as well as a ventilation building in the middle of the tunnel near Lau Shui Heung;
6.
Fanling
– this section comprises the at-grade, viaducts and interchange connection to
the existing
Figure 2.1a-k shows the Project layout and corresponding sections.
The proposed establishment of a new BCP is
of strategic importance to support the long-term economic growth of
Currently, vehicular access on the eastern
side of the
The Cross-boundary Travel Survey released in
2008 revealed that average daily cross-boundary passenger trips and vehicle
trips are experiencing an annual growth rate of about 6.4% and 3.5%
respectively. The share of passenger trips made by Mainland visitors and
cross-boundary students are also increasing significantly. Based on these
trends, over one million cross-boundary passenger trips and around 70,000
vehicle trips will take place in 2020. Furthermore, as a result of the signing
of the Supplement V to the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement in 2008 by
the Hong Kong Government and the Central People’s Government, there will be
closer tourism cooperation between Hong Kong and
At present, the current vehicular crossing
points at Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok have already reached their capacity
limits, and due to physical constraints, the potential for expansion is
limited, thus the existing BCPs will hardly meet the anticipated future demand
in terms of capacity, convenience and level of comfort. The proposed new BCP
will alleviate the frequent traffic congestion at Man Kam To BCP and provide
room for improvement at both Man Kam To and Sha Tau Kok BCPs.
The proposed establishment of a new BCP at LT/HYW
will improve the handling capacity of the BCPs in the east and hence achieve
more balanced cross-boundary services along the boundary. With the addition of
the new BCP, the share of total cross-boundary passenger and vehicle trips for
BCPs in the east can increase from 1% and 10% in 2030 respectively to 5% and
21% respectively, thus achieving a more rational distribution of cross-boundary
traffic. The proposed
In the absence of the Project, vehicular
movement between Shenzhen and
The absence of the Project will also have
wider implications on the overall development of the NENT. Without the proposed
connecting road of the BCP, which will provide a high speed and efficient
access route between Fanling and the eastern border, access to the proposed Ping
Che/Ta Kwu Ling NDA would be confined to existing, low capacity roads which
would adversely affect the development potential of the NDA. This would result
in long term repercussions on the provision of housing and future development
at NENT.
Based on the aforementioned arguments, it is
clear that the Project is essential for strategic reasons, and for achieving
the long term development prospects for NENT.
2.4.1 Original Scope as Defined in the EIA Study Brief
The Assignment comprises the LT/HYW BCP and its connecting road with associated works. The scope of the Project to be covered in the EIA study, as defined under Section 1.3 of the EIA Study Brief, comprises:
(i)
site
formation of about 18.3 hectares of land for the construction of a BCP building
in the area of
(ii)
re-alignment
of Kong Yiu Channel in association with the above site formation and drainage
facilities discharging into the
(iii)
cargo
processing facilities including processing kiosks for clearance of goods
vehicles, vehicle holding areas, customs inspection platforms, cargo
examination buildings, X-ray building, weigh stations etc.;
(iv)
passenger
related facilities including processing kiosks and examination facilities for
private cars and coaches, passenger clearance building and halls, etc.;
(v)
accommodation
for and facilities of the Government departments providing services in
connection with the BCP;
(vi)
provision
of transport related facilities inside the BCP including public transport interchange,
and transport drop-off and pick-up areas;
(vii)
other
peripheral structures and supporting facilities such as bridges across Shenzhen
River, border road and fences, water supply system, utilities, culvert,
drainage and sewerage etc.;
(viii)
construction
of a dual two-lane trunk road with traffic control and surveillance system
connecting the BCP with Fanling Highway adjacent to Wo Hop Shek - which
comprises a 6.5 km of viaduct, three tunnel sections totaling 3.5 km in length, tunnel
administration building and tunnel ventilation system;
(ix)
associated
diversion/modification works at
(x)
associated
environmental mitigation measures, landscaping works, drainage/sewerage,
waterworks, utilities and traffic engineering works; and
(xi)
collection,
treatment and disposal of sewage generated from the BCP - one of the following
two tentative sewage treatment options will be recommended for adoption during
the course of the EIA study
· Option 1
– convey the sewage generated from the BCP to the Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Works through an
existing village pumping main;
· Option 2
– provide an on-site sewage treatment facility to a tertiary level with
provision of reedbeds.
2.4.2 Changes to the Original Scope
Following from the preliminary planning and design of the BCP and connecting road and taking into account engineering feasibility, stakeholder consultation (described in Section 2.5) and investigation into alternative design and construction methodologies (described in Sections 2.6 and 2.7), a number of changes have been made since the original scope presented in the EIA Study Brief. The major changes to the original scope include:
(a)
EIA
Study Brief Section 1.3(ii) - Re-alignment of Kong Yiu Channel is no longer
required as further design investigation has revealed that the BCP can be
accommodated without the need to modify the channel, and the presence of the
BCP is not anticipated to impact the hydrological function of the existing
channel;
(b)
EIA
Study Brief Section 1.3(viii) - As an outcome from the alignment options
selection, the current preferred alignment will consist of two tunnel sections
totalling 5.7 km in
length (instead
of three tunnel sections totalling 3.5 km in length) and 5.3 km of viaduct and/or at grade sections (instead
of 6.5 km of viaduct). The total length has
increased from 10 km to 11 km;
(c)
EIA
Study Brief Section 1.3(xi) - Confirmation of provision of on-site sewage
treatment facility with proposed Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) treatment and partial
effluent reuse.
2.4.3 Current Scope of the Project
Based on the changes made to the original scope of the Project, the current scope comprises:
(i)
site
formation for the construction of a BCP building in the area of
(ii)
drainage
facilities discharging into the
(iii)
cargo
processing facilities including processing kiosks for clearance of goods
vehicles, vehicle holding areas, customs inspection platforms, cargo
examination buildings, X-ray building, weigh stations etc.;
(iv)
passenger
related facilities including processing kiosks and examination facilities for
private cars and coaches, passenger clearance building and halls, etc.;
(v)
accommodation
for and facilities of the Government departments providing services in
connection with the BCP;
(vi)
provision
of transport related facilities inside the BCP including public transport
interchange, and transport drop-off and pick-up areas;
(vii)
other
peripheral structures and supporting facilities such as bridges across Shenzhen
River, border road and fences, water supply system, utilities, culvert,
drainage and sewerage etc.;
(viii)
construction
of a dual two-lane trunk road with traffic control and surveillance system
connecting the BCP with Fanling Highway adjacent to Wo Hop Shek - which
comprises approximately 5.3 km of viaduct and/or at grade sections, and two
tunnel sections totalling 5.7 km in length, tunnel administration building and tunnel
ventilation system;
(ix)
associated
diversion / modification works at
(x)
associated
environmental mitigation measures, landscaping works, drainage/ sewerage,
waterworks, utilities and traffic engineering works; and
(xi)
collection,
treatment and disposal of sewage generated from the BCP via
provision of an on-site sewage treatment facility to a tertiary level with proposed Membrane Bioreactor (MBR)
treatment and partial effluent reuse.
The alignment in the EIA Study Brief and the current preferred alignment is shown in Appendix 2.4.
Public consultation for this Project is regarded
to be of great importance given the level of public concern over the
implementation of the BCP and the connecting road. To ensure that the views
from the public and stakeholders can be considered throughout project
implementation, a structured approach has been set up.
2.5.1
Approach
The public consultation approach adopted for
this Project is to inform and make stakeholders and interested parties of the
public aware of the project proposals; explore and gauge their views through
communication; and reconcile differences in opinions through consultation to
achieve support from the majority of stakeholders and interested parties of the
public.
To implement the public consultation, a two-stage
approach has been adopted, with Stage 1 involving communication of the Project
intentions and purpose to the public via meetings, and in return to solicit
views and expectations from concerned parties; and Stage 2 involving the
communication of findings and
possible outcomes developed taking into consideration the public views and
expectations collected in the Stage 1.
The
Stage 1 series of consultations were held in June 2009 and involved meetings
with the Concern Group of the North District Council and the 4 nos. of relevant
rural committees along the BCP and connecting road alignment. Stage 2
consultations began in September 2009, and as of September 2010, 25 meetings
have been held with a total of 22 villages/concerned parties. The key findings
from these meetings are presented below.
2.5.2
Key
Findings
The original route of the connecting road
alignment proposed during the Feasibility Study involved passing through or
very close to a number of villages including Ma Mei Ha,
To re-confirm the validity of the proposed
alignment and address the concerns of villagers in the Sha Tau Kok area, nine
refined alignment options were evaluated. Details of the refined alignment
options and evaluation process are presented in Section 2.6.2.2. Based on the evaluation, alternative alignment
options for the Sha Tau Kok area were presented to the villagers. Feedback from
the villagers on these alternatives routes were mostly related to concerns
regarding the proximity of the alignment to their villages and the impact on
their permitted burial grounds, and that the alignment may also adversely
affect the ecological environment of the area, particularly at Tan Chuk Hang.
Concerns relating to increased air and noise pollution were also raised.
After a series of further consultation
meetings, the current preferred alignment with particular refinement at the
Aside from comments on the positioning of the
connecting road alignment, suggestions were also received with regards to how
the connecting road can best serve the local community. Villagers at Ta Kwu
Ling made suggestions for a pedestrian route along the elevated roadway,
however, this would have safety implications due to the anticipated high
vehicle usage of the roadway, thus it was not incorporated into the design.
Another suggestion was to build additional connections to the road at Sun Uk
Tsai and Sze Tau Leng to improve the traffic of the local area, but it was
explained that such additional connections would have adverse impacts on the
nearby
Other concerns not specifically related to the
positioning of the alignment include compensation arrangements for land
affected by the Project, and the capacity of
2.6 Consideration of Design Alternatives
2.6.1
BCP
2.6.1.1 BCP Location
Design Parameters
In the Hong Kong/Shenzhen Joint Study, recommendations were made for a new BCP in the area opposite to Shenzhen Liantang. Based on this recommendation, initial assessments were conducted in early 2007 to assess the site constraints in the Heung Yuen Wai and Ta Kwu Ling areas, given the design parameters set out for the BCP. These design parameters include the following:
¡ Mainly designed to cater for goods vehicles but also serving private vehicles;
¡ Reserve
approximately
¡ No livestock, poultry and fresh food goods allowed to pass through (access remains restricted to the Man Kam To BCP for these goods);
¡ Projected demands of the cross-boundary traffic and processing rates based on the year 2030;
¡ Locate
passenger halls between
¡ Provide
a reserve zone to facilitate the
Site Constraints
The
proposed site of the Shenzhen BCP at Liantang and the design parameters
presented a number of constraints to the possible sites for the corresponding
BCP in
BCP Location
Options
Based on the design requirements and site constraints, three initial options for locating the Hong Kong BCP were identified during the Feasibility Study. These were Option 1 – location of BCP at the foothills of Pak Fu Shan; Option 2 – location of BCP between Chuk Yuen and Tsung Yuen Ha; and Option 3 – location of BCP at Chuk Yuen via resumption of Chuk Yuen village. The options assessments conducted as part of the Feasibility Study is summarised in Table 2.1 and Appendix 2.3.
Table 2.1: Summary of Environmental Benefits and Dis-Benefits of the BCP Location Options
|
BCP Option |
Environmental Benefits |
Environmental Dis-Benefits |
|
Option 1 – Foothills of Pak Fu Shan |
¡
Avoids intersecting
the two villages ( |
¡ Extensive slope cutting works would be required, with
resultant impact on hillside trees ¡ Potential impact to Macintosh Fort (Grade 2 Historic
Building at the |
|
Option 2 – Between Chuk Yuen and Tsung Yuen Ha |
¡
Avoids the need
for village resumption, hence preserving the traditional villages of potential
cultural and heritage value |
¡ Both villages will be immediately adjacent to the
BCP, with - Severe air pollution impacts from idling
cross-boundary traffic - Significant noise impact from manoeuvring vehicles - High visual intrusion due to close proximity of the
BCP security fencing and noise barriers - Nuisance from night time lighting within the BCP ¡ Slope cutting south of Tsung Yuen Ha, which will
affect the permitted burial ground and impact on trees |
|
Option 3 – Resumption of |
¡
Increased
separation distance from the nearest sensitive receivers (Tsung Yuen Ha
Village), hence reduced air, noise and visual impacts ¡
Increased
flexibility for implementation of any required mitigation measures, e.g.
landscaping ¡
|
¡ Loss of the traditional village of potential cultural
and heritage value |
Based
on the findings during the Feasibility stage, Option 1 was identified to be
technically unsuitable while Option 2 presented too many disadvantages from the
technical perspective and was also considered to be unacceptable in terms of
the environmental impacts. Hence the current BCP location (as shown in Figure 2.1a)
involving resumption of
2.6.1.2 BCP Layout
Major Elements and Facilities
To
provide the functions of a boundary crossing facility between
¡ Processing kiosks;
¡ Passenger hall;
¡ Loading/unloading bays for passenger vehicles;
¡ Public transport interchange;
¡ Vehicle holding area;
¡ Buffer area for southbound goods vehicles;
¡ Weigh station;
¡ Enhanced under vehicle surveillance system;
¡ Cargo examination area;
¡ Mobile X-ray vehicle scanning system;
¡ Administration building and offices;
¡ Police building;
¡ Fire station;
In addition to the aforementioned required facilities, related works include the following:
¡ Diversion
of the existing
¡ Provision of utilities services;
¡ Construction of a sewage treatment facility; and
¡ Provision
for the link between the BCP and proposed road leading to
In the Feasibility Study, an initial layout design for the BCP was developed. However, further investigation of this initial layout design during the investigation stage revealed a number of deficiencies. These included issues such as inefficient arrangements for operation within the cargo examination area; inconvenient arrangement for PTI located at different level from the passenger hall; undesirable location of operational department buildings which are too far away from the processing kiosks; inappropriate location of dog kennel facilities; steep gradient for the vehicle bridges in connecting to the BCP on Shenzhen Side; and undesirable crossing of vehicular flows on the southbound route. Subsequently, a number of revised layout plans were developed and feedback was obtained from Government Departments. Close liaisons with the Shenzhen side were also carried out to confirm the arrangement of interface facilities, connection points and levels of cross-boundary bridges.
The finalised BCP layout (shown in Figure 2.2) consists of separate inbound and outbound kiosks divided by a PTI, which is located on the lower deck adjacent to the main passenger terminal building. Cross-boundary coaches will load and unload on the upper deck, where the main passenger hall will be. All departmental offices for passenger clearance will be situated above the passenger hall. The fire station, police force building and dog kennels will be located on the eastern boundary of the BCP. The open air design of this BCP layout will provide an uncovered operational environment to examine goods vehicles and cargos, which will satisfy the concerns of the user departments raised during the consultation meetings. In addition, the arrangement of this BCP is compatible with the Shenzhen side’s BCP layout. Note that the details of the BCP layout shown in Figure 2.2 are subject to change during the detailed design stage.
The BCP footprint was also reviewed to maintain a certain distance from the existing Kong Yiu Drainage Channel. This will minimise the possible impacts to the drainage and the environment of the existing river. The sewage treatment facility is proposed to locate near the western boundary of the BCP and away from nearby sensitive receivers.
Bridge Connections to Shenzhen
The
link between the
2.6.2 Connecting Road Alignment
2.6.2.1 Design Parameters
The alignment options are all designed as dual 2-lane trunk roads with a design speed of 80 km/h. Hard shoulders are provided on both the main line and slip roads, however the hard shoulders are reduced to a marginal strip through the tunnel sections. The width of each standard traffic lane for at-grade/ elevated road sections is 3.65 m, the hard shoulder is 3.3 m and the offside marginal strip is 1 m. Taking account of the 1.3 m central median, the overall width of the road section (excluding verges and/or nearside parapets) is 24.5 m. In the tunnel section the lane widths are maintained at 3.65 m and the marginal strips are both 0.5 m giving a road width for each tube of 8.3 m, excluding widening for visibility and tunnel services.
For the vertical alignment a desirable maximum gradient of 4% and a minimum gradient of 0.67% is used in accordance with the TPDM. A minimum separation of 10 m has been allowed between the adjacent tunnel tubes, and between the tubes and other constraints such as the WSD tunnel and the assumed invert level of major water courses. Other design parameters and associated restrictions will be further reviewed in the detailed design stage.
Based on these design specifications and the initial alignment options identified by Highways Department, several rounds of new and revised alignment options, evaluations and refinements have been undertaken to arrive at the current preferred alignment. The initial set of alignment options (preliminary alignment options followed by feasible alignment options) were assessed during the Feasibility Study and the assessment results are summarised in Appendix 2.3. The recommended alignment in the Feasibility Study (Option 1A) was subsequently adopted for application of the EIA Study Brief.
2.6.2.2 Refined Alignment Options
Based
on the recommendation of alignment Option 1A from the Feasibility Study, this
alignment was initially taken forward during the preliminary design stage for
public consultation. However, it was quickly identified during the public
consultations that the alignment at the
A
broad study corridor was identified initially between
Within
the identified corridor, the
major constraints were identified and alignment options that would avoid or
minimise the impact on these major constraints were proposed. The main
priority is given to avoiding village (“V”) zones as well as avoiding
residential buildings, fung shui
woods, Conservation Area,
RAO 1
This
is the furthest west alignment option. The alignment enters and exits Cheung
Shan approximately 100m west from the conforming alignment and passes through a
permitted burial ground and Ng Tung River (River Indus) before passing in
between the village zones of Hung Leng and Leng Chai. The alignment then
intersects
RAO 2
This
option is similar to RAO 1 except the alignment crosses
RAO 3
This is the conforming alignment adopted as a result of the Feasibility Study. From the tunnel section through Cheung Shan, the alignment emerges east of Wang Shan Keuk San Tsuen and forms an interchange with Sha Tau Kok Road in between the villages of Leng Chai, Ma Mei Ha and Kan Tau Tsuen before continuing southwards near Tan Chuk Hang Lo Wai, passing through Tan Chuk Hang Fung Shui woodland, then tunnelling south of Sze Tei Shan, with a small re-emerged viaduct section over Kwan Tei River before entering a tunnel section through Lung Shan.
RAO 4
This
option differs from the conforming alignment only at the section south of the
Sha Tau Kok Road Interchange, where it veers further east to pass through
RAO 5
This
option involves a tunnel through a different section of Cheung Shan (further
east from the conforming alignment) where it emerges at Shan Tong. The
alignment passes east of Tai Tong Wu and enters into tunnel immediately south
of
RAO 6
This
option involves a tunnel through an easternmost section of Cheung Shan where it
emerges next to
RAO 7
This
option is similar to RAO 6 except the tunnel through Princess Hill is located
further east and the alignment crosses
RAO 8
This
alignment (proposed by village representatives) follows the same path as RAO 7
except at the section between Hyde Park and San Uk Tsai, where it continues
southwards and intersects
RAO 9
This option is similar to RAO 8 except the southern portal at Princess Hill is located adjacent to the Conservation Area and the alignment passes the east of San Uk Tsai and south of Sze Tau Leng before turning westwards through Tan Shan River and into tunnel at Tai Leng Pei.
RAO 10
This
alignment (also proposed by village representatives) involves the greatest
deviation from the conforming alignment, whereby the alignment exits the tunnel
through Cheung Shan at Shan Tong, then crosses
Preliminary Screening
Prior to consideration of environmental impacts (which form the basis of the subsequent secondary screening), the ten RAOs were initially screened based on a basic set of acceptance criteria and requirements for the project, which included;
¡ Provision
of a full movement interchange with
¡ Provision of an interchange that can operate effectively;
¡ Provision of an alignment that complies with the standard design criteria; and
¡ Avoidance of any major “risks” that may render an option technically infeasible or pose unacceptable programme/ cost constraints.
Provision of an interchange with Sha Tau Kok Road is a strategic requirement to maximise the efficiency and beneficial use of the Connecting Road by allowing traffic from the North District to access the road and hence the BCP without having to make a lengthy detour to the south of Fanling. It was also the wish of local residents to incorporate this interchange into the project design.
Based on these criteria, RAO 5 and 10 are immediately disqualified from further assessment as it would not be possible to provide for an interchange at Sha Tau Kok without inducing excessive environmental impacts from the large extent of cutting required and the subsequent large-scale tree felling, loss of permitted burial ground and existing graves, and impacts to the WSD tunnel. Aside from the environmental losses, the topographical constraints would require adoption of the extreme limits of acceptable design criteria for items such as road gradients and curves, leading to a required combined excavation section that would be too large to be engineering feasible. For these reasons, it is considered justified to exclude RAO 5 and 10 from further assessment.
Of
the remaining RAOs, RAO 1 also presents a major constraint as it is located too
close to
Secondary Screening
The secondary screening process focuses on the main environmental impacts of each RAO. The findings are summarised in Table 2.2 and Table 2.3. It should be noted that the findings for RAO 3 (refined alignment stage) may differ from those for Option 1A (feasible alignment stage), even though both alignments are the same, as the feasible options stage provides a broadbrush assessment of overall impacts while the refined alignment stage highlights specific environmental impacts identified as part of a more detailed assessment.
Table 2.2: Final Screened Options
|
Impact |
Village Houses, Permitted Burial Grounds and Cultural Heritage |
Water, Ecology, Landscape and Visual Impact |
Air Quality and Noise Impact |
Land Contamination |
|
RAO 2 |
¡
Direct impacts
on several villages. ¡
Loss of permitted
burial grounds/graves at Ko Po Shan and Cheung Shan. ¡
Large number of
village houses/structures affected, some of which may be of heritage value. |
¡
Does not
encroach on Fung Shui woodland. ¡
High visual
intrusion from elevated alignment and proximity to many sensitive receivers. ¡
Passes close to
Ping Che Reservoir |
¡
Tunnel portals
are located away from the main centres of population. ¡
Above ground
alignment will cause significant noise and air quality impacts due to
proximity to many village areas. |
¡
Alignment may
pass through contaminated land (from current or historic industrial
activities). |
|
RAO 3 |
¡
Direct impact on
Pak Tin San Tsuen. ¡
Loss of permitted
burial grounds/graves at Sze Tei Shan and Cheung Shan. ¡
Large number of
village houses/structures affected, some of which may be of heritage value. |
¡
Encroaches onto
Tan Chuk Hang Lo Wai Fung Shui woodland which would cause irreplaceable
ecological impacts. ¡
High visual
intrusion from elevated alignment and proximity to many sensitive receivers. |
¡
Tunnel portals
are located away from the main centres of population. ¡
Above ground
alignment will cause significant noise and air quality impacts due to
proximity to many village areas. |
¡
Alignment may
pass through contaminated land (from current or historic industrial
activities). |
|
RAO 4 |
¡
Direct impact on
Pak Tin San Tsuen. ¡
Loss of permitted
burial grounds/graves at Sze Tei Shan and Cheung Shan. ¡
Large number of
village houses/structures affected, some of which may be of heritage value. |
¡
Slight
encroachment onto Fung Shui woodland south of Sze Tei Shan. ¡
High visual
intrusion from elevated alignment and proximity to many sensitive receivers. |
¡
Tunnel portals
are located away from the main centres of population. ¡
Above ground
alignment will cause significant noise and air quality impacts due to
proximity to many village areas. |
¡
Alignment may
pass through contaminated land (from current or historic industrial
activities). |
|
RAO 6 |
¡
Does not pass
through any built-up village areas with limited direct impact although some
individual houses may be affected. ¡
Very close to
the village zone for Loi Tung with associated impact on development
potential. ¡
Passes through
mostly agricultural land with limited heritage potential. |
¡
Impact on the permitted
burial grounds at Sze Tei Shan, Princess Hill and Cheung Shan, and a number
of graves may be directly affected. ¡
Visual impact is
less significant as part of the alignment may be constructed as a depressed
road section. |
¡
Tunnel portals
are located close to some sensitive receivers. ¡
Above ground
alignment may cause some noise and air quality impacts to nearby sensitive
receivers. ¡
Comparatively
fewer sensitive receivers in close proximity of the alignment. |
¡
Passes through
mostly agricultural land with limited contamination potential. |
|
RAO 7 |
¡
Does not pass
through any built-up village areas with limited direct impact although some
individual houses may be affected. ¡
Very close to
the village zone for Loi Tung with associated impact on development
potential. ¡
Passes through
mostly agricultural land with limited heritage potential. |
¡
Impact on the permitted
burial grounds at Princess Hill and Cheung Shan, and a number of graves may
be directly affected. ¡
Encroaches into
a small area of ¡
Visual impact to
residents of |
¡
Tunnel portal
located close to ¡
Above ground
alignment will cause significant noise and air quality impacts due to
proximity to some village areas. ¡
Comparatively
fewer sensitive receivers in close proximity of the alignment. |
¡
Passes through
mostly agricultural land with limited contamination potential. |
|
RAO 8 |
¡
Does not pass
through any built-up village areas so has limited direct impact although some
individual houses may be affected. ¡
Passes close to
San Uk Tsai and Loi Tung village zone. ¡
Major impact on
the permitted burial ground at Loi Tung, and a number of graves may be
directly affected. ¡
Passes through
mostly agricultural land with limited heritage potential. |
¡
Greater
ecological impact to ¡
The visual
impact would be significant for residents of Hok Tau Wai, Sze Tau Leng and
San Uk Tsai due to the portal excavation and the elevated section over and
adjacent to the EIS close to those villages. ¡
Loss of trees
within the |
¡
The tunnel
portals are located near some of the main centres of population. ¡
Above ground
alignment will cause significant noise and air quality impacts due to
proximity to some village areas. ¡
Comparatively
fewer sensitive receivers in close proximity of the alignment. |
¡
Passes through
mostly agricultural land with limited contamination potential. |
|
RAO 9 |
¡
Does not pass
through any built-up village areas with limited direct impact although some
individual houses may be affected. ¡
Passes close to
San Uk Tsai and Loi Tung village zone. ¡
Major impact on
the permitted burial grounds at Nam Shan, and a large number of graves may be
directly affected. ¡
Passes through
mostly agricultural land with limited heritage potential. |
¡
Encroaches into
a large extent of ¡
The visual
impact of this option would be severe for residents of Sze Tau Leng and San
Uk Tsai as the alignment will cut through the lower slopes of Nam Shan and
include elevated sections over the stream courses close to those villages. ¡
Loss of trees
within the |
¡
The tunnel
portals are located near some of the main centres of population. ¡
Significant
noise and air quality impacts from the vehicles passing close to some village
areas. ¡
Comparatively
fewer sensitive receivers in close proximity of the alignment. |
¡
Passes through
mostly agricultural land with limited contamination potential. |
Table 2.3: Summary of Environmental Benefits and Dis-Benefits of the Alignment Options
|
Alignment Option |
Environmental Benefits |
Environmental Dis-Benefits |
|
RAO 2 |
¡
No direct impact
on ecologically important sites such as fung shui woodlands and ¡
Less
construction and excavated waste generated due to shorter alignment |
¡
Direct impact on
burial grounds/graves and structures which may be of heritage value ¡
High visual
intrusion and significant noise and air quality impacts due to close
proximity to many sensitive receivers/village areas ¡
Potential issues
with contaminated land |
|
RAO 3 |
¡
Less
construction and excavated waste generated due to shorter alignment |
¡
Direct impact on
village zones, burial grounds/graves and structures which may be of heritage
value ¡
Encroaches onto the
ecologically important Tan Chuk Hang Lo Wai fung shui woodland ¡
High visual
intrusion and significant noise and air quality impacts due to close
proximity to many sensitive receivers/village areas ¡
Potential issues
with contaminated land |
|
RAO 4 |
¡
Less
construction and excavated waste generated due to shorter alignment |
¡
Direct impact on
village zones, burial grounds/graves and structures which may be of heritage
value ¡
Slight
encroachment onto the ecologically important fung shui woodland south of Sze
Tei Shan ¡
High visual
intrusion and significant noise and air quality impacts due to close
proximity to many sensitive receivers/village areas ¡
Potential issues
with contaminated land |
|
RAO 6 |
¡
Avoids
encroachment through built-up village areas ¡
Less visual
intrusion, noise and air quality impacts due to fewer sensitive receivers ¡
Alignment passes
through mostly agricultural land with limited heritage and contamination
potential ¡
No direct impact
on ecologically important sites such as fung shui woodlands and |
¡
Direct impact on
burial grounds/graves ¡
More
construction and excavated waste generated due to longer alignment |
|
RAO 7 |
¡
Alignment passes
through mostly agricultural land with limited heritage and contamination
potential ¡
Avoids
encroachment through built-up village areas |
¡
Direct impact on
burial grounds/graves ¡
More
construction and excavated waste generated due to longer alignment ¡
Some visual
intrusion and significant noise and air quality impacts due to close
proximity to some sensitive receivers/village areas ¡
Encroaches onto
a small area of |
|
RAO 8 |
¡
Alignment passes
through mostly agricultural land with limited heritage and contamination
potential ¡
Avoids
encroachment through built-up village areas |
¡
Direct impact on
burial grounds/graves ¡
More
construction and excavated waste generated due to longer alignment ¡
Greater
ecological impact to ¡
Significant
visual intrusion, noise and air quality impact due to elevated alignment
section in close proximity to some sensitive receivers/village areas ¡
Loss of trees
within |
|
RAO 9 |
¡
Alignment passes
through mostly agricultural land with limited heritage and contamination
potential ¡
Avoids
encroachment through built-up village areas |
¡
More
construction and excavated waste generated due to longer alignment ¡
Significant
visual intrusion, noise and air quality impact due to elevated alignment
section in close proximity to some sensitive receivers/village areas ¡
Loss of trees
within |
The
findings of the assessment show that the RAOs with the least severity and
magnitude of environmental impacts were RAO 6 and 7. This is because from the
community perspective, both alignments manage to avoid direct impact on village
zones and typically has less direct impacts on isolated village
houses/structures compared to the other RAOs, particularly RAO 2, 3 and 4.
Environmentally, air, noise and visual impacts are likely to be less due to the
smaller number of sensitive receivers, and the alignments do not affect the Fung
Shui Woodland at Tan Chuk Hang, and generally has less impact on
Final Technical Assessment
The final technical assessment compares RAO 6 with RAO 7 with respect to the following:
¡ Traffic
¡ Environmental
¡ Construction Difficulties
¡ Existing Structures
¡ Operation and Maintenance
¡ Cost and Programme
In
terms of traffic, both RAOs are considered to work well in traffic aspects, and
no major implications are identified. From an environmental perspective, RAO 6
is considered better than RAO 7 as the former does not directly impact the
2.6.2.3
Further
Refinements
Based on the technical assessment, RAO 6 was
identified as the most preferable horizontal alignment for the
At
Ping Yeung the alignment has also been refined to be located away from the
villages and is proposed to be located principally on viaduct, with existing
accesses maintained in underpasses beneath the
The
alignment will be elevated on the approach to the BCP in order to maintain
connectivity between land areas for the local villagers, and a connection is
provided between the realigned
2.6.2.4
Refinement of the
Subsequent to the extensive options assessment and alignment refinements and due to the serious environmental concerns raised by villagers at Loi Tung following the public consultations, including concerns on air quality, noise, visual and cultural heritage impact, a variation of the alignment at Sha Tau Kok Road Section was considered in order to increase the separation of the interchange from Loi Tung Village and from significant cultural heritage features. This alignment is similar to the previous alignment through Princess Hill but then continues to curve back to the west after exiting the tunnel, cutting through the northeast shoulder of Princess Hill approximately midway between a major grave site and a shrine near Loi Tung Village, and then forming an interchange with Sha Tau Kok Road close to the existing Wo Keng Shan Road junction. The alignment then continued northwards to the tunnel section under Cheung Shan, avoiding the major grave site of Tai Tong Wu to the west of the portal area.
The
angle between the
As a
consequence of this refinement, impacts on air quality, noise, visual and
cultural heritage for
2.6.3 Peripheral Buildings
2.6.3.1
Proposed Location for
The general consideration for selecting the location for the administration building is that the location should be in the close vicinity of the connecting road for convenient management/operation of the connecting road/tunnels and easily accessible from the existing road network.
The
area adjacent to
¡ It is located more or less in the middle of the whole connecting road, hence allows for a more convenient management/operation of the connecting road;
¡ The location is close to existing disturbed areas, so has less environmental impact on the surrounding area; and
¡ There is a relatively flat area, hence easier for construction.
The location of the proposed administration building is shown in Figure 2.1e.
2.6.3.2 Proposed Location for Ventilation Buildings
Based on the adopted alignment, five ventilation buildings are required for the two tunnels. The two ventilation buildings required for the short tunnel through Cheung Shan will be located above the tunnel portals (one at each portal). This location can satisfy the tunnel ventilation requirements and maximises the efficient use of the portal construction site, thereby avoiding the need for an additional above ground construction site above the Cheung Shan tunnel, and the associated additional environmental impacts.
For
the longer tunnel at the south of
¡ The site is located on existing disturbed land that will be converted to the ventilation building, thereby avoiding the loss of ecological habitats;
¡ This
is readily accessible through
¡ It is more or less at the middle of the tunnel, such that the ventilation requirement could be satisfied; and
¡ The proposed location is surrounded on most sides by hills which separate the site from sensitive receivers such as Lau Shui Heung village. As such, all construction works and the operation of the ventilation building will be shielded by the hill and the environmental impacts to Lau Shui Heung village during both construction and operation phase will be minimised.
The tunnel ventilation building locations are shown in Figure 2.1a-k.
2.7 Description of Construction Works
2.7.1 BCP
This section is comprised of the BCP site and
the realigned section of the
¡ Main passenger/government office building;
¡ Vehicle processing area (both inbound and outbound);
¡ Bridges
connecting the
¡ Ancillary buildings/structures;
¡ Sewage treatment facility.
Where the section of
Environmental
factors taken into consideration in the design for this section includes
avoiding realignment of Kong Yiu Channel by designing the BCP and realigned
2.7.2
This section comprises the
The main
Immediately south of the BCP boundary, a limited-movement interchange has been provided at the
At the existing section of the Lin Ma Hang
Road between the Ping Che Road junction and the realigned section, the existing
road will be widened to a standard 7.3 m width carriageway with 2 m width
footpaths on both sides to cope with the anticipated increase in traffic flow
after the commissioning of the BCP and to enhance the safety of the road for
users. The village access road serving
the relocated village area will also be realigned and widened to a standard 7.3
m width carriageway with 2 m width footpaths on both sides between the road
junction with the realigned
2.7.3 Ping Yeung to Wo Keng Shan
This section runs from the FCA to the tunnel
portal at Wo Keng Shan, and has been designed as mainly viaduct alignment to reduce
the permanent footprint (and the need for cut and fill slopes), avoid
conflicting with Wo Keng Shan Road and to allow the local villages access and
watercourses to continue uninterrupted below the Connecting Road.
An at-grade interchange has been provided at
Ping Yeung to connect the villages at Ping Yeung area and the future Ping Che/
Ta Kwu Ling New Development Area to the
2.7.4 North Tunnel (Wo Keng Shan tunnel section)
This section comprises the approximately 0.9 km long tunnel through Cheung Shan, and its associated ventilation buildings located at either end of the tunnel portals. The north portal is located on a north eastern face of Cheung Shan in front of Ng Chow Road, and the south portal is located on a south western face of Cheung Shan next to the section of Wo Keng Shan Road prior to its intersection with Sha Tau Kok Road. The tunnel will be constructed as separate tubes for northbound and southbound, with a standard road width of 8.3 m for each tube. The two ventilation buildings required for this tunnel section will be located directly above the tunnel portals to avoid the need for occupying additional works area at other parts of Cheung Shan, thereby avoiding additional ecological, landscape and visual, and potential cultural heritage impact. The ventilation buildings will consist of 4 floors totalling 25 m in height above the top of the tunnel in order to accommodate the required fan equipment and facilitate the dispersion of tunnel exhaust.
2.7.5
This
short section comprises a viaduct running across the proposed Sha Tau Kok Road
Interchange from the south portal of the North Tunnel to the south of the
interchange, followed by a depressed road section that runs to the north portal
of the South Tunnel, with link
roads connecting the alignment and the
The design options for this section is severely constrained due to the need for provision of an interchange with Sha Tau Kok Road, the need to maintain flood capacity at Ng Tung River, the close presence of village zones, and the existing topographical constraints posed by the presence of Princess Hill to the south. The alignment at this section has been placed as far away from the village zones on either side of the alignment as practicable in order to limit air quality, noise and landscape and visual impacts, and direct encroachment onto the marsh habitat near Loi Tung has been avoided. While the alignment to the north of the interchange can be designed as mainly viaduct to limit the permanent loss of land, a viaduct alignment to the south of the interchange is not feasible given the hilly terrain, nor can it be designed as a tunnel due to the insufficient separation distance between the tunnel portal and the interchange, hence the alignment at this southern portion is restricted to a depressed road. However, despite the loss of habitat and landscape impact, there will be a reduction in air, noise and visual impacts to nearby sensitive receivers as the hillsides surrounding the southern portion will provide a screening effect.
2.7.6 South Tunnel (Lau Shui Heung tunnel section)
This
section comprises an approximately 4.8 km long tunnel section that runs from
the portal at the east face of Princess Hill to the portal at Lung Shan. The alignment of the tunnel section is
generally configured as a series of straight sections and large radius curves
and aligned to avoid passing under the
The design for this section has opted for a
tunnel alignment primarily to avoid directly impacting ecological habitats of
concern including woodland habitats and
The two portal ventilation buildings for this
tunnel section will be located directly above the tunnel portals to avoid the
need for occupying additional works area and will consist of 4 floors totalling
25 m in height above the top of the tunnel in order to accommodate the required
fan equipment and facilitate the dispersion of tunnel exhaust. Near the middle
of the tunnel, a connection adit leading to a ventilation building will also be
constructed. This
2.7.7 Fanling
The
Fanling section comprises the rest of the alignment from the south portal of
the South Tunnel section to the connection with
At the
The integration of the link roads into this
constrained site area will also require the realignment of a section of both
the Tai Wo Service Road East and the Tai Wo Service Road West, on opposite
sides of the Fanling Highway. These will
both be reprovided as standard 7.3 m width carriageways with 2 m width
footpaths provided where there is an identified pedestrian demand.
As with the
2.8 Consideration of Construction Methodologies
2.8.1 BCP
The major construction elements within the BCP complex will broadly include:
¡ Re-alignment and improvement of Lin Ma Hang Road (LMHR);
¡ Vehicles Holding Area and processing kiosks;
¡ Cargo Examination Area and Offices (one to two storey height);
¡ PTI and associate transport facilities at lower deck level;
¡ Podium for the Cross-boundary coaches and private vehicles;
¡ Passenger Terminal Buildings;
¡ 5 numbers of crossing boundary bridges;
¡ Sewage Treatment Plant;
¡ Fire Station and Police Force Stations.
In term of construction activities, the major works will mainly include:
¡ Site Formation and Roadworks Construction;
¡ Foundation works for building and bridges;
¡ Superstructure
–
Different construction methods are examined based on the following criteria:
¡ Severity and duration of the construction impacts on the nearby environmental sensitive receivers;
¡ Traffic impacts on the existing carriageways;
¡ Site constraints, such as limited working spaces, unforeseen ground conditions and potential impacts on the existing structures;
¡ Satisfaction to the design requirements, such as loading requirements and retained heights; and
¡ Coordination with concurrent interface projects and interface facilities with Shenzhen side.
2.8.1.1 Site Formation, Roadworks and Foundation Works
The construction methods to be employed for site formation and roadworks are all conventional methods such as site clearance, excavation and filling, construction of retaining wall and access works, and finally landscaping works. For such conventional works with limited alternative options, minimisation of potential environmental impacts will largely be achieved via application of specific mitigation measures as identified in Section 3 to 12 where applicable.
The substructure of the buildings and bridges will take the form of reinforced concrete piers and pile caps founded on bored piles. Four piling options have been assessed during preliminary design, namely,
¡ Option A: Continuous Flight Auger Piles;
¡ Option B: Large Diameter Bored Piles;
¡ Option C: Pre-bored Rock Socket Steel H-piles; and
¡ Option D: Driven Steel H-piles.
Of the 4 options for piling, Option D will generate the greatest noise and vibration impacts, hence this option was discarded from further consideration. The environmental impacts of Option A, B and C are similar, however Option B provides better performance and better ability to meet the engineering requirements for this Project. Consequently, Option B is considered the preferred piling option.
2.8.1.2 Superstructure – Cross-boundary Bridges
Construction of the cross-boundary bridges are proposed to be via cast in-situ deck method, which is a conventional method for construction of short span bridges and has the flexibility to suit possible changes in shape that may be required at these BCP bridges. Two other methods including the precast segmental launching method and the cast in-situ balanced cantilever boxed girder method were also considered. However, the former is generally impractical and inflexible for such short span bridges while the latter has disadvantages in terms of longer construction period and offers no engineering or environmental advantages above the other options. As construction of the BCP bridges form a relatively small component of the overall BCP construction works, the choice of construction method for these short bridges is not expected to make a significant difference in terms of environmental impact, however, the choice of construction method for the BCP bridges will be further reviewed once the structural form of the bridges in detailed design stage is confirmed.
2.8.1.3
Superstructure
– Building Structures
Superstructure construction will be selected from the following options:
¡ Conventional in-situ reinforced concrete construction;
¡ Precast concrete construction;
¡ Steelwork construction much of which will be in the form of prefabricated steelwork elements.
For
the
Small
buildings such as HKPF and Fire Stations, Cargo Examination Offices and associated
facilities will require less construction activities and are likely to adopt
the conventional reinforced concrete structural form. Even if a different form is eventually
adopted, it will not present a significant change with regards to environmental
impacts.
2.8.2 Viaducts
2.8.2.1 Design Requirements and Constraints
The
main sections of viaduct along the
¡ At the connection with the BCP and Ping Yeung interchange;
¡ Near
¡ Over
¡ At Sha Tau Kok interchange;
¡ At
Details of the main constraints and considerations for each section is described below:
Connection with the BCP and Ping Yeung
interchange
This
section of viaduct runs from the BCP to Ping Yeung interchange. The length of the viaduct section is around 2.1
km. This viaduct section lies over a potential fault zone area, and extensive
ground investigation will be required in this area to identify the potential
implications of the faults on the design and construction of the viaduct. The
viaduct will also need to cross a number of existing streams and
Near
This section of viaduct is to cross the area
between two small hills near
Over
This section of the
In addition to the main viaduct at this
section, a tunnel maintenance access and a crossing over access are also proposed
at the connection with
Sha Tau Kok Interchange
This
section of viaduct crosses over the existing
At
the Fanling section, the alignment will be connected to
The viaduct also needs to span over East Rail
Line at this section at a skew angle of 45o. The span is around 70 m with total length of
viaduct around 3 km. The minimum
horizontal and vertical clearance, construction method, monitoring criteria,
etc. will need to be further reviewed at
the detailed design stage. Public safety
measures will also be of particular concern at this section of viaduct.
At
the section between East Rail Line and
2.8.2.2 Construction of Bridge Deck
Given the constraints described in Section 2.8.2.1, the viaducts require the following characteristics:
¡ The viaducts need to span over existing rail tracks, roads and rivers, hence the span length of the bridges need to be adjusted to minimise the disruption.
¡ Most of the areas are rural with no existing access to reach the work fronts. The construction method should minimise the need for haul roads.
¡ To minimise disturbance to existing environment and facilities, the use of scaffolding for the bridge construction should be minimised as much as possible.
In the selection of construction method for the viaducts, options including pre-cast concrete composite bridge, cast in-situ concrete box girder bridge and pre-cast segmental launching bridge has been considered and are discussed below:
Pre-cast concrete composite bridges have the benefit of requiring no scaffolding and quick erection. However, the maximum span length is limited to around 30 m. It will require more foundation works which increases disruption to the environment. In the sections which cross existing river channels and railways, this method also cannot satisfy the requirement of long span length.
In-situ concrete box girder bridges are able to suit the bridge deck alignment with sharp curves, tapered shapes and sharp skewed angles. However, this method requires temporary support by scaffolding, and will create disturbance to the adjacent villagers and damage the existing topographic condition. This method will also experience problems when crossing existing river channels and railways. Crossing those existing facilities by normal temporary gantry is considered impractical.
Pre-cast Segmental Launching
Pre-cast segmental launching method has been assessed and considered the most appropriate method for the construction of the viaducts. It has the benefit of requiring no scaffolding and quick erection, thereby limiting disturbance to the surrounding environment. In addition the launching gantry can be designed to cross over river channels and railways without disturbing their operation.
Most of the proposed viaducts are to be constructed by precast segmental launching method except the single span bridge at Sha Tau Kok Interchange. The viaducts are proposed to be constructed in sequence from south to north, with transportation of construction activities through the completed section of the viaducts from the south end where practicable.
Precast segmental bridges are built using pre-fabricated, hollow concrete segments. A section of bridge consists of several of these concrete segments which are prestressed into a single unit. This method requires a specially built launching gantry to lift and mount each segment, with segments manufactured off site to reduce on-site environmental impacts. The segments are also small enough to be transported by conventional trucks. The existing Ping Che Road, Wo Keng Shan Road, Sha Tau Kok Road and Tai Wo Service Road West may be used to facilitate transportation of the concrete segments to the site, thus reducing the need for additional land clearance for temporary haul roads.
At Fanling, a temporary steel bridge will be constructed to provide a construction access to the north end of the Fanling Highway Connection Flyovers. It will be used as a haul road for the construction of the tunnel section prior to the completion of the Fanling Highway Connection Flyovers.
2.8.2.3 Construction of Foundations
Based on the ground information, the ground condition of the site is generally comprised of alluvium, colluvium and CDT. Rock head is around 20 to 30 m below ground. Fault zones are noted at the Ping Yeung area. In view of the initial information, two types of piles; Bored piles and Pre-bored rock socket H piles could be used for the viaducts. Particular considerations include the potential fault zone areas and the sections where the viaduct piers need to cut existing slope sides, hence requiring the incorporation of lateral pushing force into the design.
In comparing bored pile and pre-bored rock socket H piles, both methods are similar in terms of their impacts from an environmental perspective. However, from an engineering perspective, bored piles can provide better performance in lateral load resistance which is more appropriate for the site as a significant number of piles will be built on slopes. Moreover, in the colluvium layer, it is anticipated that the piles will need to overcome a large boulder layer. The boulder layer can be passed through easily for bored piles by using the chiselling method, while pre-bored rock socket H piles require a larger hole to be drilled through the boulder by rock driller first. Although pre-bored rock socket H piles are normally cheaper than bored piles, given the similar environmental performance but added engineering benefits of the bored pile, it is considered that bored piles are more appropriate to be used for this Project.
The proposed method for construction of foundation is described below:
¡ End bearing bored pile foundation will be adopted for the project. The diameter of the piles will be between 1.2 m and 2.0 m to suit the loading requirements in different locations. In soil stratum, pile shafts are excavated using the clam and oscillator. In rock stratum, reverse circulation driller will be employed to allow the pile construction through dense or hard strata.
¡ Boring is done until the hard rock or soft rock layer is reached. If the boring machine is not equipped with a rock auger, then socketing of the hard rock layer is done with the help of a heavy chisel. The socketing is carried out until the desired depth within the rock layer has been attained.
¡ Temporary casings will be used to seal the pile bore through water-bearing or unstable strata overlying suitable stable material. Upon reaching the design depth, a reinforcing cage is introduced, concrete is poured in the bore and brought up to the required level. The casing can be withdrawn or left in situ.
¡ In some cases there may be a need to employ drilling fluids (such as bentonite suspension) in order to maintain a stable shaft.
2.8.2.4 Protection of Adjacent Structures
The existing structures that may be potentially affected by the project are the culverts, river channels, East Rail Line, existing roads and village houses. During the construction stage, construction activities involve water pumping that cause fluctuations in the water table, and may generate vibration and deflection of lateral supporting systems leading to tilting or settlement of the adjacent structures.
To tackle the issue, bored pile for the foundation is proposed. The temporary steel casing sealing the pile bore will prevent the collapse of adjacent soil which leads to settlement during the construction of foundation. In the area where ground investigation results indicate unstable ground condition, permanent casing will be used to avoid the possibility of settlement during extraction of casings. Additional protection measures such as grout curtain wall can be implemented to prevent settlement at locations where the construction is in close proximity to sensitive structures. Such grout curtain walls will absorb the vibrations generated during the construction. A monitoring system composed of tilting markers, settlement markers, vibration markers and piezometers will be installed at the adjacent structures at appropriate positions to closely monitor the ground condition. The monitoring scheme including the instrumentation layout and the alert and action levels will be established to suit the results of the structural assessment and the corresponding protection measures.
2.8.3 Tunnels
2.8.3.1 Design Requirements and Constraints
There
are two bored tunnel sections along the
A key environmental constraint to the
proposed tunnel alignment occurs when the alignment passes underneath the
2.8.3.2 Excavation Method
From
an engineering perspective, due to the hardness of the rock and the size of the
tunnel, the preferred method for construction of the bored tunnel will be by
the Drill and Blast (D&B) method. This is commonly used in
¡ The TBM tunnel will be circular and there will be wastage of excavation and filling for the tunnel invert, which unnecessarily adds to the volume of waste generated by the tunnel construction;
¡ The TBM tunnel will be formed in a single size which is unable to allow for intermediate ventilation jet fan and the required widening in some of the curved sections unless the entire tunnel is enlarged;
¡ The geological interpretation and preliminary ground investigation results indicate that the south tunnel will run through strong volcanic rock with UCS over 200 MPa. Based on the size of the tunnel, there will be increased risks and difficulties for the TBM drive to work through the long tunnel section.
The use of the D&B method is proposed for the majority of the tunnel sections where environmental impacts from the tunnelling method are considered to be minimal. However, in the vicinity of existing sensitive features such as rivers, the WSD water tunnel or adverse geological condition (e.g. insufficient rock cover), portions of the bored tunnels will be constructed by non-blasting/mechanical methods to reduce the potential impact to the surrounding features. These may include hydraulic splitting, chemical splitting or hydraulic breaking. Hydraulic and chemical splitting is splitting the rock mass by applying a pressure created by hydraulic or chemical in pre-drillhole. Hydraulic breaking is breaking the rock mass directly by using a hydraulic breaking hammer. These non-blasting methods reduce the risk of vibration related impacts to the nearby cultural heritage features. The tunnels at these environmentally sensitive locations will also be constructed as undrained tunnels to avoid any drawdown of groundwater during operation phase, and measures will be taken during construction phase to limit the potential groundwater ingress during excavation.
The proposed sections to be constructed by
D&B versus mechanical excavation are shown in Figures 2.1a-k.
2.8.4 At-Grade Sections
The
main at-grade sections along the
2.8.4.1 Tunnel Portals
Four tunnel portals are to be constructed
under the project. In addition to being the tunnel entrance, the tunnel portal
will provide a level platform to accommodate a proposed ventilation building at
each of the tunnel entrances, thereby avoiding the need for additional land
clearance and associated additional environmental impact for siting the
required ventilation facilities. To cope with the large level difference
between the existing ground and the connecting road at portal area, the portals
at either end of the South Tunnel will require portal formation works in the
form of cut slopes and cantilevered walls. The formation works for the portals
at North Tunnel should only require cut slopes. As all tunnel portals are
situated at hilly terrains, some loss of habitat at the tunnel portals is
unavoidable. However, the design has attempted to reduce the area of cut slopes
required at portals, thereby limiting the area of land loss, and appropriate
landscaping mitigation measures and habitat reinstatement will be
re-provisioned after construction.
2.8.4.2 New Slopes/Retaining Walls
Under the current design, at-grade sections of
the connecting road will be formed by cutting
and filling from the existing ground to the proposed road levels. A large number of new slopes will therefore
be formed during the construction. In additional to the new slopes, new retaining
walls are also proposed for the at-grade sections. They are proposed at areas where the slope
extent needs to be reduced to limit the impacts of:
¡ Land resumption;
¡ Extent of cut slope into natural terrain (and country park);
¡ Encroachment onto permitted burial ground;
¡ Encroachment
onto
The new retaining walls are either cantilevered walls or reinforced concrete retaining walls with typical height not more than 10m and 6m respectively. At local areas such as tunnel portals, the wall height could be higher to suit the proposed alignment and formation levels. Soil nailing, slope re-compaction and re-grading of slope gradient are envisaged as part of the slope works.
2.8.4.3
Upgrading and Realignment of
At
¡ Section
1 – Upgrading the section of
¡ Section
2 – Provision of realigned
¡ Section
3 – Provision of realigned
Upgrading
of the existing
2.8.5 Drainage and Utility Systems
Aside
from the main BCP and
The
¡ Upstream branches
of
¡ Upstream branches
of
¡ Upstream branches
of Ng Tung River near Loi Tung – viaduct intersection
¡ Ma Wat Channel at
Kau Lung Hang – viaduct intersection
At
the intersection with
Where
the
In
addition to drainage provisions, a number of existing and planned utilities
will also intersect different parts of the
2.8.6 Construction Sequence
Construction
works is planned to commence in mid 2013. Due to the tight programme, the large
extent of the
For the South Tunnel, the D&B construction will start from the portals and from the Mid-Ventilation Shaft in the north direction. Blasting for the North Tunnel will proceed from the south portal towards the north portal.
Given
the size of the project area, the potential environmental impacts will be
mainly governed by the intensity of works at individual works sites as opposed
to the number of concurrent works sites along the
2.9 Tentative Construction Programme
The construction of the BCP and connecting alignment is targeted for commencement in mid 2013 with an anticipated completion in mid 2018. The tentative construction programme is shown in Appendix 2.1.
There are a number of identified major concurrent projects in the vicinity of this Project, which are summarised in Table 2.2 and in Appendix 2.2. Indicative locations of these projects are shown in Figure 2.4. Details of these concurrent projects are described below.
2.10.1
Regulation of
Regulation of Shenzhen (SZ)
River Stage 4 is a project jointly implemented by the Drainage Services Department
(DSD) of the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Water Resources Bureau (WRB) of
the SZ Municipal Government. Regulation
of SZ River Stages 1 to 3 have been completed in years 1995 to 2006.
The
purpose of the proposed SZ river regulation project is to upgrade the flood
protection standard of the
¡
Improvement
of an approximately 4.5 km long section of Shenzhen River;
¡
Re-provision
of the boundary patrol road and about 4.5 km of boundary fence;
¡
Dry
weather flow interception along Shenzhen side of the river; and
¡
Associated
landscaping works.
This project is
considered to have major interface issues with and substantial influence on the
BCP part of the Project due to its close vicinity to the LT/HYW BCP and the
overlapping of the construction programme.
As this project is under a separate DP requiring an EIA under the EIAO,
cumulative impacts during both construction and operational phases will be
addressed in both the Regulation of SZ River Stage 4 EIA and the LT/HYW BCP
EIA.
2.10.2
Construction of a Secondary Boundary Fence and
new sections of Primary Boundary Fence and
In a recent review, the
Government has concluded that with the erection of a secondary boundary fence
(SBF) along the boundary patrol road (BPR) and construction of new sections of
the BPR and primary boundary fence (PBF) at certain sections along the
boundary, the FCA coverage can be substantially reduced without affecting the
objective of maintaining the integrity of the boundary.
This project
mainly comprises the construction of an SBF along the southern edge of the existing
BPR (approximately 21.7 km) from west (Pak Hok Chau) to east (Sha Tau Kok). For sections where the existing PBF runs along
the southern edge of the BPR, a new fence with sensor alarm system will be
constructed on the northern edge of the BPR as part of the PBF whereas the
existing PBF will become the SBF.
As the section of
SBF construction works from
2.10.3
Resite of
In
September 2008, the Hong Kong – Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District
Development announced the need to resume and resite
This project comprises construction of forty four village houses with associated village amenities including recreation ground, car park, village office, and pavilion as well as associated infrastructure including stream diversion (which is a Designated Project under the EIAO), access road, temporary sewage system and utilities. The planned construction period is from late 2010 to early 2012 for population intake by early 2013. Due to the close proximity of the site to the proposed LT/HYW BCP connecting road alignment, the villagers may be considered as planned sensitive receivers, but will not impose any cumulative impacts on the LT/HYW BCP Project.
2.10.4
The Planning and Development
Study on North East New Territories (NENT Study) commissioned in 1998,
identified Kwu Tung North (KTN), Fanling North (FLN) and Ping Che/Ta Kwu Ling
(PC/TKL) as suitable New Development Areas (NDAs).
This study is to
review and update the findings and recommendations of the NENT Study to
formulate development proposals for the Kwu Tung North NDA, Fanling North NDA
and Ping Che/Ta Kwu Ling NDA to meet long term housing, social, economical and
environmental needs, and formulating the implementation strategies and
programme for the NDAs with the first population intake by the year of 2019. As
part of the PC/TKL NDA, access to the NDA will be via an interchange between
the Connecting Road to the BCP and the existing Ping Che Road, while access to
the Fanling North NDA will be served by the proposed Fanling Bypass under the
same study, which will be connected to the Fanling Highway at a proposed
interchange near Wo Hop Shek in the east.
The planned
construction period for this project is from 2014 to 2020. The construction
period and parts of the study area between this project and the LT/HYW BCP Project
contains significant overlap, however, correspondence with the project
proponent in September 2010 confirmed that the implementation programme is yet
to be confirmed, hence details needed for air and noise impact assessments such
as emission factor/rate, works area, construction plant inventory and
construction programme for this project are currently not
available as the Statutory EIA for this project is yet to be completed. Due to
insufficient information particularly for air and noise impacts, it is not
possible to quantitatively assess some of the cumulative impacts from this
project, but where sufficient information is available, cumulative impacts will
be assessed.
2.10.5
Widening of
The
According
to communication with the project proponent in September 2010, the implementation
programme of Stage 2 of the
2.10.6 Land Use Planning for the Closed Area
On 7 September
2006, the Security Bureau announced the proposed revised Closed Area boundary,
which would result in the release of some 2000 ha of land from the original
Closed Area. The Planning Department has commissioned a planning study titled
"Land Use Planning for the Closed Area", to examine the development
potential and constraints of the areas to be released from the Closed Area. The
subject Study was completed in July 2010. Relevant statutory town plans, based
on the Recommended Development Plan (RDP) of the subject study, were also
gazette for public inspection in July 2010.
According to the RDP of the subject Study,
the proposed LT/HYW BCP and its associated
2.10.7 North East New Territories (NENT) Landfill Extension – including capping of existing landfill
The NENT Landfill
Extension Feasibility Study commissioned in 2005 comprises of an engineering
feasibility study and an environmental impact assessment for the extension site
in a valley to the east of the existing landfill, which covers about 70 ha with
an estimated volume of 19 million cubic metres.
The tentative
implementation programme of NENT Landfill Extension project (as confirmed by
the project proponent in September 2010) is to commence the construction works
in 2013/14 and landfill operation in 2015/16. The associated capping of the
existing landfill is anticipated to commence progressively from 2013/14. Given
that the operational phase of this project may induce environmental impacts and
will coincide with the construction and operational phase of the LT/HYW BCP Project,
this project will be considered as a concurrent project and cumulative impacts
will be assessed.
2.10.8 Drainage Improvements in Northern New Territories – Package C
This project is one of the works packages
recommended by the Drainage Master Plan in the Northern New Territories. Subsequent to the approved EIA, Works
Contract No. DC/2007/08 – Drainage Improvement Works at Tai Po Tin, Ping Che,
Man Uk Pin and Lin Ma Hang was commissioned, comprising the construction of
approximately 2km of drainage channels in Tai Po Tin, Ping Che, Man Uk Pin and
Lin Ma Hang.
As confirmed with the project proponent in
September 2010, the contract
commenced in late 2007 and is due to be substantially completed in mid 2011. As
all the drainage improvement works will be completed prior to commencement of
the LT/HYW BCP Project, no cumulative impacts are anticipated, hence the project will
not be considered as a concurrent project.
2.10.9 Provision of Cremators at Wo Hop Shek Crematorium
This project involves the demolition of the existing coffin crematorium and the skeletal cremator building and to construct in-situ a new crematorium in the same site. Work will be undertaken in three phases, with Phase I currently in progress involving demolition of the existing coffin crematorium building and provision of new cremators. Phase I is scheduled for completion in 2011. Phase II involves demolition of the existing skeletal cremator building and is planned for commencement and completion in 2012, while Phase III involves provision of future expansion facilities for completion in 2014.
Despite the overlap in programme with the LT/HYW BCP Project, this project is located outside the 500 m study area for the LT/HYW BCP Project. As such, this project will not be considered as a concurrent project.
2.10.10
The project forms part of the New Territories Cycle Track Network which connects local cycle track networks in various new towns and is mainly for recreation purpose. The works under this project comprise the construction of new cycle tracks of approximately 5 km long from Fanling to Tai Po and improvement to selected existing artery cycle tracks in Sheung Shui, Fanling, Tai Po and Sha Tin together with the provision of supporting facilities.
According
to communications with the project proponent in September 2010, this project has
commenced construction works as of May 2010 and completion is scheduled for
2013, while the section of the Cycle Track which intersects the LT/HYW BCP
Project’ study area (Fanling section) is due to be completed by mid 2012.
Consequently, no cumulative impacts are anticipated, hence the project will not be considered as a
concurrent project.
2.10.11 Drainage Improvements in Northern New Territories – Package C (Remaining Works)
This project is
also one of the works packages recommended by the Drainage Master Plan in the
Northern New Territories. This project involves improvement of Ping Yuen River
through construction of 1.9 km of drainage channel in Ta Kwu Ling. A project
profile for application for EIA Study Brief was received by EIAO on 31 August
2010 (ESB 216/2010).
According to communications with the project proponent in September 2010, the anticipated construction period is from late 2012 for completion in 2016. As part of this project falls within the 500 m study area for the LT/HYW Project (Lin Ma Hang section), and the construction periods overlap, this project is considered a concurrent project. However, as the EIA for this project has yet to commence and there is limited information on its environmental impacts, the assessment of cumulative impacts will be limited to where sufficient information is available.
Table 2.4: Summary of Potential Concurrent Projects
|
Name of Project |
Planned Construction Period |
Remarks |
|
Regulation of |
Commence early 2012 for completion in early 2017 |
Separate DP under EIAO. Cumulative impacts will be assessed. |
|
Construction of a Secondary Boundary Fence and new
sections of Primary Boundary Fence and |
Commence late 2009 for completion in early 2014 |
DP Approved under EIAO. Cumulative impacts from relevant sections will be assessed under the Regulation of Shenzhen River Stage 4 project. |
|
Resite of |
Commence late 2010 for completion in early 2012 |
DP Approved under EIAO. Not considered a concurrent project hence cumulative impacts will not be assessed. |
|
|
Commence in 2014 for completion by 2019 |
Separate DP under EIAO. Cumulative impacts will be assessed provided sufficient information is available. |
|
Widening of |
Currently under review |
DP Approved under EIAO. Cumulative impacts will be assessed where possible. |
|
Land Use Planning for the Closed Area |
Not yet specifically available except that development proposals / infrastructure works to be completed between 2011 and 2017 |
Feasibility Study commissioned by Planning Department – not a DP under EIAO. Due to insufficient information, cumulative impacts will not be assessed. |
|
North East New Territories (NENT) Landfill Extension - including capping of existing landfill |
Commence 2013/14 for operation by 2015/16. Capping of existing landfill to commence progressively from 2013/14 |
DP Approved under EIAO. Cumulative impacts will be assessed. |
|
Drainage Improvements in Northern New Territories – Package C |
Commence late 2007 for completion by mid 2011 |
DP Approved under EIAO. Not considered a concurrent project hence cumulative impacts will not be assessed. |
|
Provision of Cremators at Wo Hop Shek Crematorium |
Commence late 2009 for completion by 2014 |
DP Approved under EIAO. Outside of study area hence cumulative impacts will not be assessed. |
|
|
Commence mid 2010 for completion by 2013 |
Not a DP under EIAO. Not considered a concurrent project hence cumulative impacts will not be assessed. |
|
Drainage Improvements in Northern New Territories – Package C (Remaining Works) |
Commence late 2012 for completion by 2016 |
Separate DP under EIAO. Cumulative impacts will be assessed where possible. |
2.10.12 Summary of Concurrent Projects
Based on a review of the potential concurrent projects and implementation programmes where available, the following projects are confirmed as concurrent projects and have been assessed (where possible) for cumulative impacts in this EIA:
¡
Regulation of Shenzhen River Stage 4 and its
advance works;
¡
North East New Territories (NENT) Landfill
Extension – including capping of existing landfill;
¡
¡ Widening
of
¡ Drainage
Improvements in