Hong Kong’s Drainage Services Department (DSD) has kicked off three drainage tunnel projects costing US$531M that are intended to relieve flooding on Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon district of the former British colony.
This follows an invitation to engineering consultants to express interest in bidding by 4 August for a contract to carry out the preliminary detailed design contract of the first of the three links, the US$279M, 10.3km Hong Kong west drainage tunnel. The tunnel, which will vary between 6.25m and 7.25m in diameter, will connect Tai Hang with an area near Telegraph Bay on the western side of Hong Kong Island. The scheme also includes adits totalling 7.5km and 35 intake shafts.
Some 15 design firms were asked to express interest including Atkins China; Black & Veatch Hong Kong; Charles Haswell and Partners; Halcrow China; Hyder Consulting; Maunsell Consultants Asia; Meinhardt Mouchel ; Mott Connell; MWH Hong Kong; Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong; Parsons Brinckerhoff (Asia) and Scott Wilson. The DSD is expected to invite tenders by October ready to award the assignment by December when the consultancy will start.
One of the key roles of the successful form will be to invite contractors to prequalify and tender for a contract to design and construct the tunnel. Construction is set to start in 2007 with completion in 2011.
DSD is also asking consultants to express interest in the second tunnel project. The US$136M scheme involves two tunnels a 3.7km long 4.9m diameter connection between the west Kowloon reclamation and the Lai Chi Kok and Sham Shui Po districts of Kowloon, together with a 2.8km, 3m diameter transfer tunnel connecting several reservoirs in Kowloon. The Lai Chi Kok tunnel will have 10 shafts, about 350m of adits and an outfall structure.
Finally, consultants are likely to be asked in September to express interest in designing a US$116M, 5.1km, 6.5m diameter drainage tunnel in the Tsuen Wan area of Kowloon.
Completion of all three projects is planned for 2011.
