Last week Highways Department (HyD) made a presentation to Sai Kung District Council of the recent progress of the revision of the plans for Hiram’s Highway Improvements Stage 2. Hiram’s Highway is a road linking Sai Kung to Kowloon East and Tseung Kwan O. There is traffic congestion along some sections of the road during peak hours on weekdays and weekends.
Hiram’s Highway Improvement Stage 1 project commenced in 2016. It covers the section of Hiram’s Highway between Clear Water Bay Road and Marina Cove and is anticipated to be mostly completed by the end of 2020. Hiram’s Highway Improvement Stage 2 project will improve the remaining section of Hiram’s Highway from Marina Cove to Sai Kung Town, Po Tung Road and Tai Mong Tsai Road to the South of Sha Ha.
Over the past few months. the consultants Meinhardt have been carrying out a consultation process with many local residents’ and environmental organisations which has resulted in some differences from the original plans, which BUZZ reported on two years ago.
Based on the comments received, HyD has enhanced the design of the proposed improvement scheme as follows:-
(i) improving the Pak Sha Wan section of Hiram’s Highway as single 4-lane carriageway, in order to minimise the impact on existing roadside structures and reduce the land to be resumed;
(ii) provision of a pedestrian subway crossing at Pak Sha Wan;
(iii) provision of a new loading/unloading layby and improvement of a pick-up/drop-off layby for public transport at Pak Sha Wan;
(iv) modification of the Pak Kong Road junction to allow vehicle turning right from Pak Kong Road to Hiram’s Highway (Kowloon Bound);
(v) omission of proposed noise barriers at Pak Sha Wan and Sai Kung Town;
(vi) modification of the design to minimise impact to nearby historic structures, such as maintaining the “Tin Hau Temple” and the “Hip Tin Temple”, as well as the “Pai Lau” of “Man Yee Wan New Village and Sha Tsui New Village” in Sai Kung Town at their existing locations; and
(vii) modification of the location and design of a pedestrian crossing at Tai Mong Tsai Road near Sha Kok Mei.
HyD is currently co-ordinating with relevant departments for gazetting of the road scheme. The earliest gazette time of the road scheme according to the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Cap. 370) is now anticipated for the end of 2019 for the public to comment on the road scheme. HyD will then seek authorisation to execute the works in accordance with the statutory requirements. If the relevant statutory procedures are completed by end 2020, they anticipate that the detailed design of the Project can commence in 2021.
The full report to the District Council is available at https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/sk/doc/2016_2019/en/dc_meetings_doc/16363/SK_2019_151_EN.pdf
The presentation (in Chinese) can be found at https://www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/sk/doc/2016_2019/en/dc_meetings_doc/16363/SK_2019_151p_TC.pdf
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