Technical Visit to Central Kowloon Route – Yau Ma Tei West

Technical Visit to Central Kowloon Route - Yau Ma Tei West (CKR-YMTW) was successfully held on 14 October 2023.

CKR is a new proposed 4.7km Dual 3-lane carriageway connecting Yau Ma Tei Interchange of West Kowloon with Kai Tak Development Area and road network of Kowloon Bay owned by the Highways Department of Hong Kong Government. The construction was commenced in 2011 and it is anticipated be completed by 2025.

This technical visit was started with the briefing session to introduce the overall scope of the CKR project. The project mainly comprises the construction of vehicular tunnels by cut-and-cover and drill-and-blast methods, underpasses, depressed roads, bridges and associated facilities such as tunnel access shaft, buildings, electrical and mechanical works, as well as the re-provisioning of Gascoigne Road Flyover.

One of the notable features of the project is the applications of Common Data Environment (CDE) and Internet of Things (IoT) to effectively manage and oversee the construction works. These includes the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for digital fabrication of bridges, Digital Works Supervision System to digitalise workflow process, and Smart Site Management Hub etc. These innovations support the implementation of “Construction 2.0” and contribute to the continuous improvements in construction safety and quality.

Apart from the digital innovations, they also shared the technical solutions to overcome the challenges of the construction works in technical ways to tackle the site constraints and eliminate safety hazards to public and site. For example, AI camera was adopted to identify the over-height vehicles on the road underneath the site and detect site worker’s activities to predict potential incidents and minimise safety risk. The project also introduced the Vacuum Assisted Grouting System, which is applied in the bridge post-tensioning to enhance the lifespan of prestress tendons.

The visit concluded with a tour at Yau Ma Tei West site, where the participants had the valuable opportunity to visualise the construction works at the landscape deck. We would like to express our thanks to Major Works Project Management Office of Highways Department, Arup - Mott MacDonald Joint Venture and Build King - SK Ecoplant Joint Venture for delivering a fruitful visit. Please stay tuned for our upcoming events!