ENG-2000 — Page 267

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

Urban Development Areas

Construction works and feasibility studies on new urban development areas generally follow the broad pattern of land use and guidelines in the Metroplan, and integrate with the replanning and redevelopment of adjoining old areas in a co-ordinated manner. The Territory Development Department is conducting feasibility studies of several major reclamation projects to provide new land for growth, to decant existing population and to provide or upgrade facilities to enable the redevelopment of old and run-down areas.

Hong Kong Island

The Central and Wan Chai Reclamation extends along the waterfront from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay. Three of the five reclamation phases have been completed Central Reclamation Phase I, Central Reclamation Phase II and Wan Chai Reclamation Phase I.

The comprehensive feasibility study for Central Reclamation Phase III was completed in mid-2000. The detailed design subsequently commenced and construction will begin in mid-2002 for completion in mid-2006.

The planning for Wan Chai Development Phase II is progressing smoothly. A comprehensive feasibility study is being conducted and targeted for completion by early 2001. This phase, together with the other phases of the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation, will accommodate strategic road and rail links along the north shore of Hong Kong Island between Central and the eastern part.

The Western District Development Strategy has been formulated to consult the public on the future development of the Western district on Hong Kong Island. The area covered includes Sheung Wan, Sai Ying Pun, Kennedy Town and a proposed reclamation off Kennedy Town. The scale of the reclamation has been reduced from 193 hectares to 79 hectares to accommodate a population of 70 000. Public consultation on the Western District Development Strategy began in October.

On the eastern side of Hong Kong Island, the Aldrich Bay development has produced some 28 hectares of land for private and public housing, open space and other uses to house about 28 000 people. The new typhoon shelter opened in 1991, while reclamation of the old typhoon shelter was completed in mid-1997. Construction of roads and other infrastructure commenced in January 1999 for completion in mid-2003 to meet the population intake there.

At Telegraph Bay, on the western side of Hong Kong Island, about 20 hectares of land reclaimed in 1989 is being developed for the Cyberport project which was announced in the 1989 Budget. The engineering infrastructure works are expected to be completed between end-2001 and end-2003. The Cyberport is an information infrastructure project that on full development will provide thousands of jobs and also have a residential population.

Kowloon

The West Kowloon Reclamation (WKR) provides a total of 340 hectares of land for strategic transport links, commercial development and housing development. The total population will be about 164 000. Infrastructure works are substantially complete, and the final phase of reclamation to provide 13 hectares of land and the remaining roadworks are in progress. The southern portion of the WKR (about 40

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