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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1994
IT WILL LINK THE TUEN MUN ROAD TO THE TSING YI SECTION OF ROUTE 3 AND THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING PROVIDING EASY ACCESS FROM NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES TO THE KOWLOON PENINSULA AND THE PROPOSED PORT DEVELOPMENTS ON LANTAU AND THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK.
A
THE CONTRACTOR WILL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THE TING KAU BRIDGE, TRIPLE TOWER CABLE-STAYED BRIDGE WITH A TOTAL LENGTH OF 1,178 METRES ACROSS THE RAMBLER CHANNEL AND A HIGH LEVEL APPROACH VIADUCT ON TING KAU HEADLAND WITH A TOTAL LENGTH OF ABOUT 700 METRES.
THESE MAJOR STRUCTURES WILL CARRY A DUAL THREE-LANE EXPRESSWAY WITH HARD SHOULDERS AND THE APPROACH VIADUCT WILL CONNECT TO THE PROPOSED TAI LAM TUNNEL SECTION OF THE ROUTE 3: SLIP ROADS TO AND FROM THE TING KAU BRIDGE AT ITS NORTHERN END WILL PROVIDE CONNECTIONS TO AND FROM THE WEST ONTO TUEN MUN ROAD (ROUTE 2), WHILST AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE TING KAU BRIDGE, A CONNECTION WILL BE MADE TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF ROUTE 3 AND THE INTERCHANGE WITH THE TSING MA BRIDGE.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID UPON COMPLETION, THE TING KAU BRIDGE WOULD PROVIDE A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THE NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES AND THE KOWLOON PENINSULA, AND WOULD BRING RELIEF TO TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON THE TING KAU - TSUEN WAN KHAI CHUNG CORRIDOR, BY CONNECTING SECTIONS OF ROUTE 3 CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON TSING YI ISLAND TO TUEN MUN ROAD.
IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT UPON ITS OPENING IN 1997, THE TING KAU BRIDGE WILL TAKE UP TO 2,000 VEHICLES PER HOUR WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE USE TUEN MUN ROAD EAST OF TING KAU IN THE PEAK HOURS.
THE COMPLETION OF THE TING KAU BRIDGE WILL ALSO PROVIDE CONVENIENT ACCESS TO THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP КОК FROM THE NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES.
FOR
THE CONTRACT PRICE OF $1,738 MILLION, IN MONEY OF THE DAY, DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING THE TING KAU BRIDGE, THE APPROACH VIADUCT AND CONNECTIONS TO TUEN MUN ROAD IS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATE OF $2,438 MILLION, IN MONEY OF THE DAY, FOR THE CONTRACT.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT HAD BEEN DECIDED TO TENDER THIS CONTRACT ON A "DESIGN AND BUILD" BASIS BECAUSE THIS WOULD MAKE THE BEST USE OF CONTRACTORS' AND DESIGNERS' EXPERIENCE, RESOURCES AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT EFFICIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY WITHIN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME.
COMMENTING ON THE DESIGN OF THE TING KAU BRIDGE PROPOSED BY THE TING KAU CONTRACTORS JOINT VENTURE, THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT WAS COST- EFFECTIVE AND INNOVATIVE WITH MAIN SPANS OF 448 AND 476 METRES RESPECTIVELY.
THE DESIGN IS NOT ONLY ECONOMICAL BUT ALSO PROVIDES AN ELEGANT STRUCTURE OVER THE RAMBLER CHANNEL CAUSING MINIMAL OBSTRUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT TO THE BUSY WATERWAY.
IMPACT
THE CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STUDY COVERING THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION STAGES OF THE PROJECT AND TO PROPOSE AND INCORPORATE IDENTIFIED MITIGATION MEASURES.
/ENVIRONEMINAL PROTECTION