1930 PRAYA EAST RECLAMATION SCHEME. FINAL REPORT.

An OCR program was used; it works quite well with regular text, but tables are difficult and need retyping. Therefore the second part with costs isn't converted.

Source: http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/s1931/2384.pdf

NO. 1/1931

HONG KONG.

PRAYA EAST RECLAMATION SCHEME.

FINAL REPORT.

The Praya East Reclamation Scheme was under consideration as far back as 1897 and at that time the. Director of Public Works, Mr. Ormsby, C.M.G., sounded a note of warning to the promotors of the scheme with regard to the large amount of rock that might be found in Morrison Hill and pointed out that such develop­ment on the Island would be a very heavy tax upon the then inadequate water sup-ply.

Due to the untiring efforts of Sir Paul Chater, Kt., C.M.G., the scheme ultimately received the sanction of Government in 1921 and resulted in the resumption of Morrison Hill and the passing of the Praya East Reclamation Ordinance No. 17 of 1921. After which the work was put in hand and carried to completion in 1930 by the Public Works Department on behalf of the participants—the Government being one of the interested parties.

This Ordinance provides that any accessory works involving additions and al­terations to the original scheme shall be undertaken from time to time as in the opinion of H. E. The Governor it is considered necessary or desirable for the proper fulfilment of the Scheme. Certain accessory works cannot be undertaken until the Royal Naval Arsenal Yard is removed to Stonecutters but these have been provided for on an agreed Estimate with the Naval Authorities so that it has been possible to ascertain the final cost of the work so as to enable lot holders to obtain their Crown leases.

In addition to the construction of the sea wall and piers and the actual filling in required for the Reclamation, the whole of the old drainage system as far back as Queen's Road East which discharged at the old Praya boundary had to be lifted so as to obtain the necessary outfalls on the line of the new sea wall, this necessitated not only the raising of the roads with all sewers and storm water drains but also the ground floor levels of some of the old houses.

On completion of the Praya East Reclamation Scheme, Government had con­templated constructing a roadway from th Grand Stand at Happy Valley to Ton­nochy Road with storm water culverts to take the Wongneichong Valley Drainage. This scheme had to be abandoned owing to the obstruction caused by the large core of solid rock remaining on the site of Morrison Hill after all suitable filling for the reclamation had been removed. The drainage was accordingly carried in its original course discharging onto the reclamation area at the Bowrington Canal Bridge which had to be reconstructed to meet the new conditions. A 36 feet wide nullah—an au­thorized work under the Reclamation Scheme—provides for the drainage through the reclamation to the sea front necessitating bridge connecting the roads crossing the New Reclamation.

Mr. Adam Anderson, B.E., B.A., R.U.I (the Engineer who has, through-out, been associated with this Scheme and who for the most part has been the officer in charge of the work)—in his final report now submitted—gives full particulars of the various alterations necessitated during the progress of the work and the causes for the increased cost over the original Estimate due to the many difficulties met with.

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Although the final cost of the land per sq. ft. to the participants viz. $2.41 is in excess of the cost originally estimated in 1921 viz. $1.505—the scheme has proved to be in every way a very profitable undertaking.

The interests of the participants have been carefully guarded throughout and they have received from time to time the full benefits from the rents obtained for lands temporarily occupied during construction and all interest on any sums lying to the credit of the Praya East Reclamation account. These credits amount to approxi­mately $457,000 and participants' contributions have been accordingly reduced by this amount equivalent to approximately $0.20 per sq. ft. of allotted area.

The supervision charges include the payments made for the services of the clerks of work and Chinese foremen employed to supervise the construction. The amount debited to the cost of the work is very reasonable and in accordance with the Ordinance.

H. T. CREASY,

Director of Public Works.

HONG KONG, 30th June, 1930.

FINAL REPORT.

PRAYA EAST RECLAMATION SCHEME.

Hon : D.P.W.,

The construction of the above Scheme is now completed except the works included in the Reconstruction of Buildings, Boundary Walls, &c., rendered neces­sary by the Exchange of land at R.N. Arsenal Yard, together with a small amount of surfacing to the new roadway's. The new sites for the reconstruction of the Arsenal Yard Buildings and Boundary Walls have not been selected, it is not possible therefore to put this work in hand. Agreement however has been reached with the Naval Authorities as to the cost of carrying out this work. The surfacing of road­ways is being carried out under Contract and is now nearing completion, thus enabling the cost of the uncompleted work to be ascertained definitely.

The principal works carried out and comprised in the 'Scheme are as follows :--

(a)   The construction of 4,995 lineal feet of sea wall founded on pell-mell rubble foundations, deposited in trenches dredged to depths ranging between 21 feet and 31 feet below Ordnance Datum.

(b)  The construction of 193 lineal feet of Quay Wall in sloping blockwork on the seaward limit of the old Naval Camber and at the Western extremity of the sea wall. The depth of water alongside the Quay Wall is 16 feet 10 inches at low water. The Quay Wall is connected to Admiralty wharfage by the construction of a reinforced concrete wharf 23 feet in length. The Quay Wall and wharf were handed over to the Naval Authorities on completion of construction.

(c)   The construction of two public piers in reinforced concrete, one of these piers is situated at the end of Fenwick Road, and is, built T shaped, it projects a distance of 41 feet 4 inches from the sea wall cope and provides at its outer face a berth of similar length; the other pier is 120 feet 8 inches long and 35 feet 4 inches wide with four flights of landing steps and situated at the end of Tonnochy Road.

(d)  A Refuse Boat Pier projecting 58 feet from the Cope at the end of Fleming Road. This pier is constructed in sloping blockwork and provides 60 feet of berthage on its outer face having a depth of 15 feet of water below Ordnance Datum.

(e)   The filling in of the reclamation area, Naval Camber and Bowrington Canal, requiring 3,111,099 cube yards of filling material. This ma­terial was obtained from Morrison Hill, East Point Hill and other sources such as the spoil from works under construction.

(f)   The construction of the following lengths of sewers on the Reclama­tion Area :-

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(g) The reconstruction of the following lengths of sewers in the back areas affected by the reclamation:-

(h) The construction of the following lengths of storm water drains on the reclamation :-

(i)          The alteration to storm water drains in the back areas involved the reconstruction of the following lengths of drains :—

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(j)     Three reinforced concrete bridges were constructed to span the Bow­rington Nullah and the bridge at Leighton Hill Road was reconstruct­ed. Of these bridges, that on Hennessy Road is 100 feet wide and carries a double line of tram track, the bridges on Lockhart and Gloucester Roads are each 75 feet wide. The level of Leighton Hill Road was raised, this involved the reconstruction of the Leighton Hill Road Bridge.

(k)   The reconstruction and widening of a length of about 2,300 feet of the old Praya East roadway (now Johnston Road) to a width of 75 feet and a further length of about 3,600 feet of this road (now part of Hennessey Road) to a width of 100 feet. The construction of 2,080 feet of 100 feet roadway and about 13,645 lineal feet of 75 feet roadway.

(1) The water mains laid in connection with the Scheme included:-

3,300 lineal feet of    15" diameter mains.

780             „            8”              "

18,700        “            6”              "

(m) The reconstruction of the old Praya East Roadway necessitated the taking up and relaying of the Tramway track for a distance of about 5,000 lineal feet.

The works referred to in items (g) and (i) and portion of the works in (f) were undertaken by the Drainage Office. The works referred to in (k) were undertaken by the Roads Office and the works under items (1) and (m) by the Water Works Office and Tramway Co. respectively.

Continued with 6 pages regarding costs.