Attention TV/radio announcers: Please broadcast the following as soon as possible: The car park at Hong Kong Wetland Park is full. Motorists going to the Park can use the nearby public car parks at Tin Heng Es… read more
Special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Happy Valley tomorrow (December 26). The arrangements will come into effect one and a half hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.
A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race
1. Road closure
Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp outside Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed except for vehicles heading for Aberdeen Tunnel.
2. Traffic diversions
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up-ramp outside HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;
– Vehicles from eastbound Queen’s Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic along Queen’s Road East cannot turn right to Wong Nai Chung Road except for vehicles heading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen’s Road East will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen’s Road East; and
– Traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.
B. Traffic arrangements before the conclusion of race meeting
1. Road closure
The following roads will be closed from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:
– The up-ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen’s Road East and the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;
– Southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of HKJC;
– Westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and
– Southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen’s Road East.
In addition, southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up-ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of HKJC will be closed from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.
2. Traffic diversions
The following traffic arrangements will be implemented from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:
– Eastbound Queen’s Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one-lane traffic heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, U-turn slip road beneath Canal Road flyover, Canal Road West and Hennessy Road;
– Vehicles from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down-ramp leading from Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Traffic on southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;
– Traffic along southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and
– Traffic along westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.
C. Learner drivers prohibition
Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:
– Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;
– Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;
– Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;
– Canal Road East; and
– The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.
D. Suspension of parking spaces
Parking spaces on southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Sports Road and Blue Pool Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm during day racing, from 4.30pm to 11.59pm during evening racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm during night racing.
Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts of the above affected areas will be towed away without prior notice.
Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site.
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Regarding the progress on the holistic assessment strategy and the verification works for the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link (SCL) Project announced by the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) today (December 24), a spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) responded as follows:
The Government noted that the MTRCL was continuing with its work of the second stage of the holistic assessment strategy and would consolidate test results found in the first two stages and proceed to the third stage as soon as possible to conduct a detailed structural analysis on the works for the Hung Hom Station Extension so as to ascertain if the overall condition of the works is acceptable and determine if it is necessary to conduct strengthening works.
We noted that the MTRCL was gravely concerned and disappointed over the works quality of the main contractor, Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited (Leighton), considering the deviations of the first batch of coupler connections opened up from the installation requirements specified by the coupler’s supplier. According to the Entrustment Agreement signed between the MTRCL and the Government for taking forward the SCL Project, the MTRCL was entrusted by the Government as the project manager to design, construct and commissioning the SCL Project. The MTRCL shall warrant that the entrusted works shall achieve a professional and reasonable level of skill and supervision, including the assurance of quality of works up to the required standards. At the same time, according to the Entrustment Agreement, contractors, including Leighton, having entered into contracts with the MTRCL for the works relating to the SCL Project, have also entered into collateral deeds with the Government. The collateral deed mainly stipulates the legal liabilities and rights between the Government and the contractors in the event of contractors breaching the provisions in works contracts. Subject to the inspection results of the Hung Hom Station Extension works, the Government reserves all the rights to pursue further actions against the MTRCL and the related contractors.
Regarding the installation requirements of a coupler, the Government reiterates that, according to the information from the couplers’ supplier, proper installation requirements of a coupler are:
(1) there shall be a maximum of two full threads exposed; and
(2) the embedded length of the threaded steel bar inside the coupler shall be at least 40 millimetres.
The MTRCL uses the phased array ultrasonic examination to verify the embedded length of the threaded steel bar inside the coupler. As the allowable measurement tolerance of the test is 3 millimetres, equipment readings below 37 millimetres are regarded as failing to meet the installation requirements. The Government considers that in the Hung Hom Station Extension works under the SCL Project, the Contractor should install couplers in accordance with the above requirements.
The MTRCL stated today that workmanship and structural safety are two different concepts, and quoted the information from the coupler supplier to explain that the provision of six full threads of coupler connections could provide the design strength.
The Government considers that when conducting the structural analysis under the third stage of the holistic assessment, the MTRCL should use the information obtained from the first two stages such as as-constructed details of the platforms and quality of works, and take into account the technical data provided by the coupler supplier, so as to ascertain the structural safety of the platforms and determine if it is necessary to conduct strengthening works. Throughout the process, the relevant Government departments will carry out stringent checking. read more