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The U-beams are up to 160 tonnes in weight and 38 metres in length. Due to their size and weight, manoeuvring them, mainly at night, required skill and expertise.
Highways Department's Chief Engineer in charge of the Route 3 project, Mr Duncan Siu, said that an innovative manoeuvring method had been adopted for the job. The method required a special transport vehicle to move the U-beams from the casting yard to the location of beam erection under police escort. Then a 103-metre long tailor-made launching girder was used for lifting and positioning the U-beams. The girder is self-propelled and can be moved along the column crossheads to suit job requirements.
"This method has removed the need for a lot of temporary supports which would otherwise be required for traditional cast-in-situ construction which would cause disruption and inconvenience on the busy Kwai Chung Road. Using this method, the U-beams have been put in place more quickly with up to nine beams placed in one night, thereby shortening the total construction period. It also has the advantage of minimising disruption to vehicular traffic and allowing all lanes to remain open to traffic during the day," Mr Siu noted.
With all the U-beams in place, overhead construction works for the bridge deck will continue, and extensive ground-level works, such as drainage connections, laying of the road surface and landscaping will now commence.
In conjunction with the viaduct construction, an elevated airport railway structure of total length 3.6 kilometres comprising some 2,000 precast segmental units, each of weight up to 80 tonnes, was completed last month for handing over to the MTRC for track-laying works.
The KCV will also greatly ease traffic flow in the Kwai Chung, Tsing Yi and Container Port areas when it is opened to traffic.
The viaduct will provide an expressway link to the West Kowloon Expressway and the Western Harbour Crossing to the south leading to Hong Kong Island. To the west, the KCV will link up with the Lantau Fixed Crossing via the Route 3 Rambler Channel Bridge and Cheung Ching Tunnel, leading to the new airport at Chek Lap Kok and Tung Chung new town.
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