LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
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the British Forces. During 1986-7 the department completed 90 building contracts under various programmes. The total capital expenditure on these projects including that on minor works was $1,985 million. In addition to this the Maintenance Branch of the department spent $423 million in providing routine maintenance and minor alteration works to 6 400 government, Urban and Regional councils and British forces buildings. The overall expenditure at $2,408 million shows an increase of 14 per cent over the 1985–6 expenditure of $2,112 million.
Tendering on all types of projects continued to be very active and competitive. During the 12-month period to March 1987, tender prices increased by about eight per cent while over the same period labour and basic materials costs rose by 14 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. Tender prices continued to rise further during the year, reflecting cost increases and the continuing upturn in the construction industry.
The 47-storey Queensway Government Offices, the tallest Government building in Hong Kong, was completed in 1987. It provides 54 000 square metres of office space for 12 departments. Work also began on another phase of the Harbour Road Development, the Wan Chai Tower 2 government building. This office block of 49 storeys will be completed in phases, with the first phase of 27 storeys scheduled for completion in mid-1989.
Further additions to the Hong Kong Law Courts were made with the completion of the Sha Tin and Tuen Mun Law Courts during the year, each of which has eight storeys and eight courtrooms.
Several projects for the disciplined forces were completed in 1987. These included Tai Po and Tsing Yi District Headquarters and divisional police stations, new fire stations in Shek Kip Mei, Shek Kong, Lamma Island, Mui Wo, an ambulance depot and fire station in Pok Fu Lam and the 274 quarters for the Drug Addiction Treatment Centre at Hei Ling Chau. Construction of Phase I of the new Police Headquarters commenced in February 1987. This seven-storey building with a gross floor area of 35 000 square metres will house, among others, the Regional Control and Command Centre/HK Island, a computer suite and firing ranges, a fitness training centre and communications branch workshop. It is scheduled for completion in mid-1989. Other important projects for the disciplined forces commenced during the year included the superstructure for the Police Tactical Unit in Fanling and the new border crossing at Lok Ma Chau.
During the year construction began on the Kennedy Town Wholesale Market. It will provide 62 000 square metres of market space in phases to accommodate wholesale facilities for fish, fruit and poultry and vegetables. Phase I is scheduled to be completed in 1990.
Expansion of medical facilities for Hong Kong continued during 1987, with work progressing on the 1 600-bed Tuen Mun Hospital and the adjacent nurses' training school and staff quarters. These are scheduled for completion in 1988. As regards the Eastern District Hospital, foundation work was near completion and tenders for the main superstructure were called at the end of the year. Construction of the hospital's superstruc- ture is expected to start in May 1988, and work on the nurses' training school, nurses' quarters and senior staff quarters associated with the hospital is scheduled to start in mid-1989, with the whole project scheduled for completion in late 1991 at an overall projected cost of $1,670 million. This project ranks as the largest hospital development under construction in the world.
In addition to the above two large projects, the caisson and site services diversion works for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital extension were completed in late 1987 and the superstruc- ture contract will be completed in phases by 1990. Work also continued on the second and
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