The Highways Department (HyD) today (May 21) signed a contract with Alchmex-Paul Y Joint Venture for works in Kai Tak East under the Central Kowloon Route (CKR) project. The works mainly comprise the construction of an approximately 700-metre-long CKR main line in Kai Tak; the construction of the Kai Tak Interchange, including bridges, underpasses and associated at-grade slip roads, connecting the CKR with the existing road network; and other associated works. The contract value is about $1,974 million.
The Director of Highways, Mr Jimmy Chan, said at the contract signing ceremony that the Kai Tak East contract is the largest New Engineering Contract (NEC) adopting a target cost contract option awarded by the HyD so far. The NEC emphasises mutual trust and co-operation between the contracting parties and has provisions to increase cost effectiveness and reduce risk.
The CKR will be a 4.7-kilometre-long dual three-lane strategic trunk road in Central Kowloon linking the Yau Ma Tei Interchange in West Kowloon with the road network of the Kai Tak Development and Kowloon Bay in East Kowloon. The CKR, anticipated to be commissioned in 2025, will relieve traffic congestion in the road network in Central Kowloon. It is estimated that the journey time between Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Bay during peak hours will be reduced from 25 minutes to about 5 minutes, which would be equivalent to an economic benefit of about $3 billion per year. A total of five works contracts including the present one have been awarded under the CKR project with a total value of about $17 billion, and the remaining CKR contracts will be rolled out in tandem.
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