2.1.1
Facing the heavy pressure and strong demand from
the public on land supply for housing and commercial development, the ARQ site,
with site coverage over 40 ha, is identified as the site for medium term land
supply for housing development. In accordance with the
planning study undertaken by PlanD under Agreement
No. CE4/2010(TP), the ARQ site is planned to be developed for
accommodating a population of about 25,000.
2.1.2
To cope with this large scale development, site
formation and infrastructure works within the ARQ site are recommended in the
Feasibility Study for Development of Anderson Road Quarry site project (FS)
under Agreement No. CE18/2012(CE), which are essential to be constructed.
Moreover, the existing infrastructures connecting to and/or at downstream of
the ARQ site should be upgraded or modified to tie in with the development
intensity requirement.
2.1.3
The Project is proposed to improve the traffic
condition and to cater for the additional traffic demand arising from the
future population of the ARQ site. The improvement schemes of the Project will
improve the following traffic problems:
·
The junction of Sau Mau Ping Road / Lin Tak Road
is currently overloaded (Reserve Capacity < 0%). A long queue is observed at
Sau Mau Ping Road (SMPR) southbound approach during AM peak hour, which is
mainly due to the heavy traffic flows and the delay caused by the existing signalised junction. The
situation would be worsened upon the intake of ARQ. To improve the problem,
free flow movement would be allowed for Sau Mau Ping Road turning onto Tseung
Kwan O Road after the road improvement works which would effectively improve
the queuing issue.
·
Frequent on-street pick-up/drop-off activities
are observed along the existing Lin Tak Road during the peak hour periods, the
traffic at Lin Tak Road is blocked by the stopping vehicles for the
pick-up/drop-off activities. To reduce the blockage, the lay-bys on both sides
of the road would be lengthened to facilitate the vehicles for the
pick-up/drop-off activities within the lay-bys and subsequently smooth the traffic
flows at Lin Tak Road.
·
Upon the intake of ARQ population, the junction capacity
at Clear Water Bay Road / On Sau Road would be insufficient (Reserve Capacity
< 0%). In order to improve the junction performance (Reserve Capacity >
5%), the traffic movements and Method-of-Control (MOC) of the signalised junction should be modified.
·
Upon the intake of ARQ population, a section of
New Clear Water Bay Road westbound joining the merging point of Shun Lee Tsuen
Road would be overloaded (traffic volume / capacity ratio > 1.2). It is
necessary to widen that section of New Clear Water Bay westbound from 1 lane to
2 lanes and construct a new Shun Lee Tsuen slip road and a new merging lane
extending from the existing Shun Lee Tsuen Road for enhancement of the road
capacity.
2.2.1
The location of the Project is shown in Figure
2.1. The following is a summary of the proposed improvement schemes:
Junction of Sau Mau Ping Road/Lin Tak Road (Figure 2.2)
a. Additional
Laybys at Lin Tak Road
2.2.2
As revealed by the traffic review, the existing
single 2 lanes road configuration of Lin Tak Road is capable of handling the
prevailing as well as the future traffic flow upon completion of the Anderson
Road Quarry Site Development. This is because, with the population intake at
Anderson Road Quarry Site, the additional traffic induced along Lin Tak Road
will only be about 20 pcu/hr. Most of the traffic from Anderson Road Quarry
Development travelling along Sau Mau Ping Road will make a right turn onto
Tseung Kwan O Road by the slip road towards Kowloon. The traffic queues currently occurred are caused by the frequent stoppage of vehicles for roadside
loading and unloading activities.
Therefore, it is considered unnecessary to widen Lin Tak Road and so the
single 2 lanes road capacity of Lin Tak Road will remain unchanged. Instead, the works originally proposed for
Lin Tak Road will be scaled down to the construction of 4 numbers of lay-bys
and associated road re-alignment to allow for roadside loading and unloading
activities. No additional traffic will
be induced due to the change.
2.2.3
Details of the proposed works are as follows:
·
Lengthening of existing lay-bys from 12m and 18m
to 70m and addition of 2 new lay-bys of 26m long at Lin Tak Road;
·
Realignment of Lin Tak Road towards south so as
to allow space for the provision of lay-bys as mentioned above which is very close to the lot boundary of
Hong Wah Court and Hing Tin Estate.
·
Enlargement of existing roundabout at the
junction of Lin Tak Road and Pik Wan Road to allow
for smooth turning of long vehicle, but still maintaining the existing one
entry lane and one circulating lane configuration.
·
Cutting of slopeworks
at the south side of Lin Tak Road to allow space for the provision of lay-bys
and road re-alignment.
b. Westbound
flyover from Lin Tak Road to Sau Mau Ping Road
2.2.4
On the other hand, the flyover crossing the
junction of Sau Mau Ping Road and Lin Tak Road will be required in order to
alleviate the traffic impact on the Junction of Sau Mau Ping Road/Lin Tak Road
/ Tseung Kwan O Road slip road, due to the additional traffic generated by
Anderson Road Quarry Site travelling from Sau Mau Ping Road eastbound to Tseung
Kwan O Road slip road via the aforesaid junction. Currently, the junction of Sau Mau Ping Road
/ Lin Tak Road / Tseung Kwan O Road slip road is a signalised junction and is operating
slightly over its capacity. With the
additional traffic from Anderson Road Quarry Site, the signalized junction will
be further overloaded. In order to
alleviate the situation, a westbound flyover is proposed from Lin Tak Road to
SMPR leading to a free flow condition for turning movements from SMPR eastbound
and Lin Tak Road westbound to Tseung Kwan O Road slip road, as well as straight
ahead movements at Lin Tak Road eastbound and westbound.
2.2.5
Details of the proposed works are as follows:
·
Widening of small section of slip road towards
Tseung Kwan O Road eastbound with associated slope works for retaining walls.
·
Construction of a new westbound flyover from Sau
Mau Ping Road to Lin Tak Road leading to a free flow condition for turning
movement from Sau Mau Ping Road eastbound and Lin Tak Road westbound to Tseung
Kwan O Road slip road, as well as straight movement of Lin Tak Road eastbound
and westbound.
·
Tseung Kwan O Road slip road to Sau Mau Ping
Road will be shifted southwards with associated slope works and retaining walls
to cater for the proposed flyover.
2.2.6
The key element of this proposed works is to
construct a new vehicular flyover connecting Lin Tak Road and Sau Mau Ping Road
and across Tseung Kwan O Road. The envisaged works area will be within the site
boundary as illustrated in Figure 2.2 and extra works area outside the
site boundary is not anticipated.
Junction of Clear Water Bay Road and On Sau Road and
Junction of Clear Water Bay Road and New Clear Water Bay Road (Figure 2.3)
2.2.7
The scope of the proposed works includes
improvement works on Clear Water Bay Road and detouring right-turn movement
from On Sau Road northbound onto Clear Water Bay Road eastbound by construction
of a new U-turn facility with
minimisation of cutting of the existing trees on slopes.
2.2.8
The key element of the proposed works is to
construct a new U-turn facility on the westbound carriageway of Clear Water Bay
Road. The envisaged works area will be within the site boundary as illustrated
in Figure 2.3 and extra works area outside the site boundary is not
anticipated.
Junction of New Clear Water Bay Road and Shun Lee Tsuen Road
(Figure 2.4)
2.2.9
The scope of the proposed works is to widen a
section of 130m long of the existing New Clear Water Bay Road westbound
carriageway opposite to Shun Lee Estate from one lane to two lanes, and to construct
a new Shun Lee Tsuen Road slip road (about 350m) and a merging lane (about
170m) extending from the existing Shun Lee Tsuen Road and merging to the
westbound carriage way of the New Clear Water Bay Road, and also to lengthen
the merging lane from Shun Lee Tsuen Road slip road with associated slope works
for retaining walls.
2.2.10
One of the key elements of the proposed works is
to lengthen the slip road (approximately 350m long) and merging lane
(approximately 170m long) from Shun Lee Tsuen Road to the westbound carriageway
of New Clear Water Bay Road. The envisaged works area will be within the site
boundary as illustrated in Figure 2.4 and extra works area outside the
site boundary is not anticipated.
2.2.11
As revealed by the traffic review, the existing
single 2 lanes road configuration of Lin Tak Road is capable of handling the
prevailing as well as the future traffic flow upon completion of the Anderson
Road Quarry Site Development. Therefore, it is considered unnecessary to widen
Lin Tak Road and so the single 2 lanes road capacity of Lin Tak Road will
remain unchanged. Instead, the works originally proposed for Lin Tak Road will
be scaled down to the construction of 4 numbers of lay-bys and associated road
re-alignment to allow for roadside loading and unloading activities. No
additional traffic will be induced due to the change.
2.3.1
The concurrent projects with construction works
in the vicinity are as follows:
·
Development at Anderson Road (DAR) – the major
construction of DAR would be completed in 2016;
·
Site formation and infrastructure works within ARQ
site and Pedestrian Connectivity Works including footbridges and lift towers
will be constructed in the vicinity of Sau Mau Ping Road and Lin Tak Road – the
construction will be started in 2016 and completed in 2021; and
·
Proposed Rock Cavern Development within ARQ –
The construction for the Proposed Rock Cavern Development within ARQ will be
started in 2018 and for completion in early 2020.
2.4.1
It is anticipated that for works at J/O Clear
Water Bay Road and On Sau Road and J/O Clear Water Bay Road and New Clear Water
Bay Road, as well as New Clear Water Bay Road and Shun Lee Tsuen Road,
construction works would be commenced by end 2016. The construction period is
3.5 years, and the tentative completion year is 2020. Besides, the construction
works at Sau Mau Ping Road and Lin Tak Road would be started in end 2016 with
the estimated construction period of 5 years, and the tentative completion year
is 2022. Details of the tentative construction programme
are shown in Appendix 2.1. Nonetheless, it should be noted that the
aforementioned programme, including the commencement
and completion dates, is tentative and subject to review.
2.5.1
The study areas for some aspects of the
assessment are follows:
·
Air quality impact assessment study area is 500m
from the boundary of the Project site.
·
Noise impact assessment study area is 300m from
the boundary of the Project site.
·
Water quality impact assessment study area is
500m from the boundary of the Project site.
·
Waste management and land contamination
assessment will focus on areas within the boundary of the Project site.
·
Ecological impact assessment study area would
include areas within 500m from the site boundary of the Project site and also
any other areas likely to be impacted by the Project.
·
Landscape and visual impact assessment would
include all areas within 100m of the boundary of the Project site, whereas the
visual envelope would define the visual impact study area boundary.
·
Landfill gas hazard assessment study area will
focus on areas of the boundary of the Project site which fall within 250m
consultation zone of the landfill sites.
·
The proposed road layout also provides
opportunity for early completion of the excavation works so that the newly
formed area can be act as temporary stockpile area. Hence, maximize the re-use
of excavated materials.