CCST 9020 FIELD TRIP GROUP REPORT:

ANALYSIS OF CENTRAL-WAN CHAI BYPASS

AND ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR LINK

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BACKGROUND

The Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link (referred to as CWB in the following) is the new solution for the growing traffic congestion alongside the harbor that aims to facilitate traffic flows all the way from Central to North Point. The Highways Department of Hong Kong has proposed this massive construction in order to dilute the intense traffic that the existing roads are facing. Its brochure mainly mentions that “upon commissioning of the CWB, it is anticipated to take about [only] 5 minutes to travel between Central and … North Point,” and would provide a large volume of job opportunities regarding construction.

For the construction of CWB, reclamation at Victoria Harbor is needed, which had aroused fierce debate on whether the harbor should give in to the bypass. A lawsuit against the bypass also delayed its construction. For the further understanding of this issue, a field trip was conducted to the construction site and CWB visitor’s center.

This report will include the group’s observation during the field trip and reflections in the perspectives of different stakeholders; a series of suggestions for the future development of Hong Kong will also be proposed.

1| Road Works by Highways Department, HKSAR, retrieved from http://www.hyd.gov.hk/eng/road_and_railway/road_projects/6579th/index.htm, Accessed in April 2013

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CONSTRUCTION

Viewing the Victoria Harbor on the HKMA office, we could see the construction of the bypass was in progress. Reclamation was in progress as specific areas were being reclaimed for further construction. The outline of the bypass was clearly shown even at this stage. We were informed by the engineers on the designs of the CWB in the Community Liaison Center. The models clearly showed us the outlook of the tunnels and how each part of the construction was linked.

During the construction of the CWB, processes such as temporary reclamation is said to be utilized, as some sections of the bypass are located in functioning areas and thus existing resources had to be modified or rearranged due to immobility.

OBSERVATIONS

2| Central - Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link, retrieved from http://www.cwb-hyd.hk/newtechnology.html, Accessed in April 2013

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POST-CONSTRUCTION

After the construction, the government plans to compensate the lost environment by conducting two of the following: first, building up the New Central Harbor Front along the coast line; and second, removing temporarily reclaimed land after completion of the tunnel structure.

The re-establishment of a green harbor front after the construction of CWB would be able to benefit Hong Kong through three different aspects. First, it would trigger the creation of a social hub for people to interact near the coastline of Central. Second, the generation of a green garden in the middle of the city itself allows room for alleviating the pollution problem. Third, it helps to improve the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s world city.

The government and the engineers aim to strike a balance between economic and environmental considerations, as they are also stressing the impermanence of the reclamation carried out to the Harbor, and that it would do little damage to the Harbor itself. With the help of technology and detailed, organized planning, the government and engineers are putting tremendous effort to cater the needs of the general public while eliminating the negative impact on the environment as much as possible.

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PERSPECTIVES &REFLECTIONS

3| UDA’s Central Harbour – “The Happening Place” by UDP International, retrieved from http://www.udp-cltd.com/works/uda-chf/, Accessed in April 2013

The construction of CWB aroused fierce debate. In the following, consideration

and opinions of different stakeholders will be discussed, from the following

perspectives:

ARCHITECT

Improving people’s quality of life is architect’s primary concern. Architectural design

transforms spaces and affects people in tangible and intangible ways. Therefore, one

has to see beyond the obvious to grasp the true essence of Architecture. Architect

is a cross-disciplinary profession that aims to improve people’s life in a multitude

of ways. During the design stage, the architect aims alleviate the problem of traffic

congestion as well as balances the interest of stakeholders. Architectural design is

at its best when the project is contextualized by fully realizing its relation with the

urban fabric. Additionally, to lessen the adverse effects of CWB construction, the

post-construction process includes replanting and re-establishing the harbor front.

POLITICIAN

CWB will be a great means for people to travel. For CWB, people who lived in eastern

district – Shau Kei Wan, for instance – can save time to travel through the eastern

corridor to Central. As a result, congestion of Hung Hom tunnel can be reduced and

vehicles would be discouraged to travel through crowded district liked Wan Chai

and Causeway Bay to Central, alleviating the traffic jam in Hong Kong Island.

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1. Central- Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link, “Project Features”, Apr. 7th, 2013, Available from http://www.cwb-hyd.hk/newtechnology.html2. Wan Chai Development Phase II, “Noise Management”, Apr 7th, 2013, Available from http://www.wd2-cwb.com/docu-ments/fep04_356_2009/Noise%20Management%20Plan_20110120%20Rev1c.pdf3. Central- Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link, “Introduction”, Apr. 7th, 2013, Available from http://www.cwb-hyd.hk/introduction.html4. Central- Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link, Newsletter No9 – September 2012, “Tunnel (Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter Section)”, Apr. 7th, 20135. Central- Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link, “Fact Sheet”, Apr. 7th, 2013, Available from http://www.cwb-hyd.hk/document/Fact_Sheet_2012_20120710_low.pdf

The project postponed its commencement

until late 2009, due to the long process

of consultation and passing regulations.

The main obstacle was the opposing

voice towards reclamation. It took years

to bargain on the issue of environmental

protection and economic development.

For the environmentalists, they claimed

that the reclamation is irreversible which

will permanently harm the environment.

For the urban planners, they believed

that the bypass could save huge amount

of travelling time of Hong Kong residents

and bring significant economic and social

benefits. Fortunately, they both took one

step backward and make the project

possible. There are much more things than

just balance sheets to consider. It is crucial

to reach a consensus between economic,

social and environmental aspects as a

whole.

MANUFACTURER

Manufacturers will fully consider the

requirement of sustainable development

in terms of economic, environmental and

social aspects, even after the construction.

Their goal is to conduct the work with high

cost-effectiveness and to avoid negative

social impacts by reasonable planning and

advanced technology.

I. Under Construction

During the construction, CMC

(Construction Modeling and Control Plan)

technology will be adopted for the CWB

project. By providing a virtual prototyping

platform for visualization, communication

and analysis of construction program,

CMC technology will help to enhance

planning for construction activities, and

reduce associated risks and program

delays (1,”Project Features”). Besides,

the construction would strictly be carried

out in compliance to Construction Noise

Permit by using permitted equipment at

concerned work site during valid period.

During the tunnel construction works

at the eastern end of Causeway Bay

Typhoon Shelter, sludge located there will

be removed, thus improving the water

quality of the area. The construction

process will also create more than six

thousand job opportunities, which will

benefit local employment significantly (3,

“Introduction”).

II. Post-Construction

After the tunnel construction work at

Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, the

seabed that is temporarily claimed will be

reinstated (4, “Tunnel”). Upon completion,

additional land formed under the project

will be used for future construction of

waterfront promenade (5, “Fact Sheet”).

ENGINEER

Engineers design the construction

structure and system as a solution for the

conflict between protection of the harbor

and alleviation of traffic congestion while

considering the economic, environmental

and social implications. They try to

minimize the contradiction and persuade

the public with sufficient reasons to set up

a project.

To achieve a balance point, the bypass

will be constructed as tunnel underground

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instead of viaduct or road-based facilities. There will also be many environment-friendly

designs including the Green Noise Barriers and Semi-Enclosures to reduce noise pollution,

advanced ventilation system to enhance the air quality, and the landscape deck.

CONTRACTOR

In order to meet the requirement of client and maximize the profit, quality of the project

should be guaranteed as well as the effective utilization of the budget. Furthermore, the

progress is expected to be punctual to the schedule. For the sake of people-oriented project,

every effort should be made to ensure safety. The adverse impact to the environment will

be strictly monitored.

As for a large civil infrastructure project, significant impacts will be induced especially

within the region where the construction site located. To reduce the objections from many

sectors, more measures are expected to eliminate the adverse impacts and show the

superiority of the project.

An infrastructure project that solves the congestion problem as well as optimizes the

society and environment can definitely win major supports since it meets the overriding

public need. Hence, in some sense, while a proposed project may receive objections, there

are still more to be done in various respects to meet the overriding public need.

GENERAL PUBLIC AND END-USER

Currently, all of the roads that transport automobiles across the Hong Kong Island –

Connaught Road Central, Harcourt Road and Gloucester Road corridor etc – are always

jam-packed with vehicles in rush hour. For the general public, the bypass will improve the

transportation system in Hong Kong. It does not only soothe the traffic pressure in Hong

Kong Island, but also smooth the traffic conditions of the three cross-harbor tunnels which

are linked with Kowloon. With the predictable reduction in traffic congestions, travel time of

passengers will be significantly saved. The time saved could benefit the whole community;

the quality of life of Hong Kong citizens would likely be improved.

Some opponents, however, may claim that the reclamation is going to destroy the harbor and

ultimately harm the ecosystem. They argue that Victoria Harbor is the valuable belongings

of all Hong Kong people, and that the reclamation plan should be canceled. The influence

that the construction of CWB would have will still be verified by actual users in the coming

future; the debate would likely go on, since different people will hold different opinions and

priorities for the very same project.

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SUGGESTIONS

1. COMPROMISE AND CONSENSUSCompromise and consensus is crucial for every project. It is by means of the general public to have its voice, and thus should be always considered. A foundation of urban sustainability is the overriding objective to achieve a high quality of life for a whole community within a socio-economic framework that minimizes the impact on local and global environment. Development in Hong Kong requires technology and the support from the public to achieve a sustainable built environment.

To deal with the objections and complains, in the initial stage of a proposed project, public engagement programs can be conducted to fulfill the demands. Too much compromise or excessive effort of leading to consensus would hamper with projects themselves, but there are things that are more important than pure efficiency.

2. IMPROVEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMBecause of Hong Kong’s extreme urban characteristics, it is hard for public transports to work effectively and efficiently – which the government has managed to pull off quite well. Considering that most of the so-called double-deckers and minibuses are very old and were manufactured in times when regulations regarding air pollution were much looser, these need to be replaced with new vehicles that are cleaner and consume less energy to ensure better air quality.

To protect the environment, the road-based green transport vehicles have already been used in Hong Kong. However, since usable land is limited in Hong Kong and the vehicles still lead to congestion, the transport system still needs to be improved.

Therefore, the Environmentally Friendly Linkage System can be applied, which is a comfortable, efficient and environment-friendly intra-district linkage system with no carbon emission. Thus, the cooperation of EFLS and green transport vehicles can improve the environment.

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3. CREATE COMMUNAL SPACESHong Kong has been developed in a vertical manner – which can sometimes be very unhealthy and unsustainable. Therefore, it is important to create communal spaces between large quantities of buildings.

4. DISPERSE THE HUGE AMOUNT OF PEOPLEConsidering that the population of Hong Kong will keep increasing the future, satellite towns can be constructed to disperse large amount of people working in the central business area in Hong Kong. For example, there is a possibility of constructing another central business area in New Territories. Demand for transportation in original business area would be reduced, while narrowing down the regional development gaps as a result.

5. BUY THE EASTERN AND WESTERN HARBOR TUNNELSThe government can use the money carrying further reclamation to buy the eastern and western harbor tunnels which are privately held. As a result, it can reduce the toll fees of these two tunnels. More people may choose to travel through these two tunnels rather than the Hung Hom tunnel. Hence, the serious traffic jam problem in the Hung Hom tunnel over the decade could be alleviated.

CONTRIBUTIONSi) Assgined rolesARCHITECT: Yiu Kun Hin / 2008993928CONTRACTOR: Liang Jia Ying / 2012855249GENERAL PUBLIC: Wong Chi Pang / 3035067394MAUFACTURER: Li Feng Ting / 2011811416ENGINEER: Kayan CheungPOLITICIAN: Ng Ka Ho 3035052442END-USER: Lee, Jung Bin / 2012567218

ii) Report contributionsBACKGROUND (2 people): 100 words eachOBSERVATION (4 people): 100 words eachREFLECTION (ALL): 150 words eachREPORT EDITING: ALLLAYOUT: Yiu Kun Hin / 2008993928