The Drainage Services Department (DSD) today (May 31) awarded a $426.4 million contract to Leighton-Kumagai Joint Venture to further improve the sewerage systems in Causeway Bay and North Point.
Works to construct about 4.4 km trunk sewers will start immediately for completion in early 2006.
Speaking after the contract signing ceremony, the Director of Drainage Services, Mr John Collier, said that the trunk sewers, mostly of 1,800mm diameter, would be laid in the densely developed commercial and residential areas at Gloucester Road, Percival Street, Hennessy Road, Yee Wo Street in Causeway Bay, as well as Electric Road and Java Road in North Point.
To minimise disruption to traffic and disturbance to the community, about 3.9 km of the 4.4km sewers will be constructed by using trenchless method. Another 500m connecting sewers and 75m fresh watermain will be laid by the open cut method.
"By constructing the trunk sewers by means of trenchless method as much as possible, we will minimise the extent of road excavation works and, hence, the disturbance to the community," Mr Collier said.
He said a comprehensive risk analysis was conducted prior to the tendering of this sewer-laying contract.
"From our experience, the major difficulties encountered in the trenchless method are the uncertainties of the underground utilities and ground conditions and the impacts on the traffic associated with the proposed shaft locations and the planned temporary traffic management scheme (TTMS)," he said.
"Full-scale traffic trial runs for the proposed TTMS and on-site trial trench investigation were carried out in 2001 to identify any obstructions, difficulties and risks likely to be encountered during construction," said Mr Collier, adding that results of these investigations were given to the tenderers for risk estimation during the tendering process.
Besides, DSD also liaises with utility undertakers and other Government departments to identify any advance diversions needed and possible entrustment of the works that will be carried out in the same area so as to avoid repeated road openings in the same section of road.
The contract awarded today forms part of the Wan Chai East and North Point Sewerage project is designed to improve the sewerage system in Wan Chai East and North Point areas.
Other related works under the project include replacement of 6.9km of existing branch sewers and re-construction of the inlet pumping station at North Point Sewage Screening Plant. The works will start in 2003 for completion in December 2006 to tie in with the commissioning of the trunk sewers.
The total costs of the entire sewerage improvement scheme for Wan Chai East and North Point Sewerage is about $ 900 million.
Upon completion of all improvement works under the scheme, the sewerage systems in Wan Chai East and North Point will have sufficient capacity to meet future demands of the areas up to year 2021. It will serve a population of 300,000 in North Point and 140,000 in Wan Chai East and helps improve the water quality in Victoria Harbour.
End/Friday, May 31, 2002
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