Design and construction of a dual two-lane trunk road

Dragages Hong Kong is proud to announce that it has been awarded a HK$10.3 billion contract by the Civil Engineering & Development Department of the HKSAR Government, namely Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point Site Formation and Infrastructure Works – Contract 2. The project comprises the design and construction of two 4.8 km tunnels, associated ventilation buildings, and an administration building.

“It’s been our great honour to participate in many of Hong Kong’s most important infrastructure projects, and this latest contract is no exception,”remarked Nicolas Borit, Managing Director of Dragages Hong Kong.“Dragages Hong Kong is well positioned to handle this complex and technically difficult project. We have a proven track record of successfully commissioning some of the world’s most challenging tunnelling projects, and introducing numerous technical firsts to Hong Kong.”

To cope with the various ground conditions along the 4.8 km route, a combination of solutions will be adopted to construct the tunnels. In the northern section, where various fault zones are located, a dual mode Earth Pressure Balanced (EPB) Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) will be used. Integrated with Dragage’s in-house innovations of MOBYDIC and TELEMACH, this TBM will conduct real-time geological mapping of the rock faces, and enable remote detection of damaged cutter head components. Meanwhile, a drill and blast solution will be implemented in the rock zones of the tunnels’ southern sections.

Tunnelling through the first 500m of the enlarged section from the North Portal presents one of the biggest challenges of the project due to soft ground conditions. To meet this technical challenge, a pilot tunnel will be bored using the TBM, followed by enlargement works conducted by a traditional soft-ground tunnelling method.

All tunnel construction activities will take place concurrently to maximise efficiency. To achieve further cost and work efficiencies, and to eliminate the need for bored pile construction, Dragages Hong Kong has also proposed alternative designs for the buildings’ foundations.

Dragages Hong Kong is dedicated to delivering its projects on time and to the highest standards of quality, safety and environmental management. Caring for the needs of the community is an integral aspect of this commitment. Throughout the project, a Community Liaison Group, comprising both engineers and community liaison officers, will work hand in hand with the client and a supervising officer to keep local residents informed of key production activities, and to address their concerns in a prompt and efficient manner.