Site Formation
PROGRESS
The site formation contract, awarded to Messrs. Waking Builder on 15th February, 1957, in the sum of $1,895,618.00, made good progress throughout the period under review, despite intermittent interruption because of heavy rains, particularly in May. Three-quarters of the cost of site formation (up to £88,875-$1,422,000) will be met by a grant from the Colonial Development & Welfare Fund. As the work pro- ceeded a number of boulders and considerable areas of rock were brought to light, which had to be removed in order to avoid later complications with piling and foundations. A fatal accident occurred on 30th March, 1957, when a partially-exposed rock suddenly fell and killed a coolie. The period for completion of the contract was extended by thirty days (to 450 working days) to compensate for delays caused by the inability to work in certain sections pending re-alignment of the 18" watermain crossing the site and the removal of squatters from parts of the site where excavation and blasting had to be carried out.
At the end of the period under review over 190,000 cu. yds. of earth and 23,600 cu. yds. of rock had been excavated, and 144,000 cu. yds. of filling on site carried out. 29,000 cu. yds. of earth had been removed from the site to the Cheung Sha Wan dump and 3,700 cu. yds. of mass cement concrete poured. Several site instructions were issued during the course of the work, resulting in nett savings of $160,808.62.
Clearance of Site
During the year several pockets of squatter huts, containing nearly 2,000 people, were cleared by the Resettlement Department from around the perimeter of the site. About 800 other squatters living within 100 ft. of the boundary line (where they may be endangered by blasting or excavation work) still remain to be removed.
Engineering Works
Re-alignment of the watermain running across the site was completed by the P.W.D. in November 1957, at a cost of $134,178.00: great difficulty was experienced in excavating the old pipe, which was buried in some sections to depths of up to 20 ft. With the completion of re-alignment site formation was able to proceed more freely.
Mr. W. Szeto submitted a report on the proposed salt-water flushing supply system with an intake on the sea-wall, and estimated the capital
24