Noise barriers for Tolo Highway in Pak Shek Kok (referred by EPD)

Simon Wang made this Freedom of Information request to Highways Department

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was successful.

Dear Highways Department staff,
I asked the Environmental Protection Department the following questions (https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/noise_b...) but the EPD says the information requested may be held by the Highways Department:

1. In which sections of Tolo highway has noise barriers been built? Please provide the info such as the lengths and location of the noise barriers, the rationales of installing them and the dates when they were installed.
2. Please explain why noise barriers were not installed in the section of Tolo highway next to Chong San Road (where St Martin is located). When was the decision not to install made? Will the department review this decision given that a large number residents are living in the neighborhood?

Please process my request under the Code on Access to Information. I've also asked a few more questions to EPD here https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/guideli... Please coordinate with EPD when answering my questions if needed. Thanks in advance.

Yours sincerely,
Simon Wang

Highways Department

1 Attachment

Dear Mr. Wang,
Thank you for your application dated 12 May 2021 seeking access to
information about Noise Barriers for Tolo Highway.

Your application is now under processing.  Pursuant to paragraph 1.16 of
the Code on Access to Information, you will be advised further in relation
to your request on or before 1 June 2021.          

Should you have any questions in the meantime, please contact me at 3695
0612.

Regards,
LU Hua, Henry
Engineer 11/Central Kowloon Route
Highways Department

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From:        "Simon Wang" <[FOI #652 email]>
To:        "FOI requests at Highways Department" <[Highways Department request email]>
Date:        12/05/2021 22:45
Subject:        Freedom of Information request - Noise barriers for Tolo
Highway in Pak Shek Kok (referred by EPD)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Highways Department staff,
         I asked the Environmental Protection Department the following
questions
([2]https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/noise_b...) but
the EPD says the information requested may be held by the Highways
Department:

1. In which sections of Tolo highway has noise barriers been built? Please
provide the info such as the lengths and location of the noise barriers,
the rationales of installing them and the dates when they were installed.
2. Please explain why noise barriers were not installed in the section of
Tolo highway next to Chong San Road (where St Martin is located). When was
the decision not to install made? Will the department review this decision
given that a large number residents are living in the neighborhood?

Please process my request under the Code on Access to Information. I've
also asked a few more questions to EPD here
[3]https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/guideli...
Please coordinate with EPD when answering my questions if needed. Thanks
in advance.

Yours sincerely,
Simon Wang

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #652 email]

Is [Highways Department request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to
Highways Department? If so, please contact us using this form:
[4]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[5]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. file:///tmp/www.hyd.gov.hk
2. https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/noise_b...
3. https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/guideli...
4. https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...
5. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

Highways Department

7 Attachments

Dear Mr. Wang,

Thank you for your application dated 12 May 2021 seeking access to
information about Noise Barriers for Tolo Highway. Further to our interim
reply on 21.5.2021, our reply to your request, in coordination with
Environmental Protection Department, is as follows.

Noise barriers were installed in the early 2000s under the Widening of
Tolo Highway Project (the section between Island House Interchange at Tai
Po and Ma Liu Shui Interchange at Sha Tin) to mitigate the noise due to
the increasing road traffic demand.  Layout plans of the as-built noise
barriers with length of about 5km at the said section of Tolo Highway are
attached for your information.

The developers for the residential developments (St Martin (雲滙), Solaria
(嘉熙), Centra Horizon (海日灣II), Mayfair by the Sea 8 (逸瓏灣8))
adjacent to Chong San Road and in close proximity to Tolo Highway had,
during the planning stage, assessed the traffic noise impact from Tolo
Highway to these residential developments in accordance with the
requirements of Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) and
the relevant land sales conditions.  As a result of the assessment, they
had adopted self-protecting designs as well as practical noise mitigation
measures to ameliorate the traffic noise.  For examples, noise-tolerant
uses such as kitchens, toilets, staircases and lifts were placed close to
Tolo Highway; openable windows of living rooms and bedrooms for
ventilation were designed to face away from Tolo Highway while fixed
windows (which can only be opened for maintenance and not for ventilation
purpose) were used in façades directly facing Tolo Highway.  For premises
which were affected by traffic noise, acoustic windows and acoustic
balconies were adopted to mitigate traffic noise while at the same time,
provide the necessary natural ventilation (for details on the above noise
mitigation measures and their specific uses, you may wish to refer to the
Deed Mutual Covenants and relevant Sale Brochures).  With these measures
in place, all residential premises within the subject developments
complied with the traffic noise standard of 70 dB(A) as stipulated in the
HKPSG and therefore, provision of additional noise barriers along the
concerned section of Tolo Highway was considered not necessary.

You may wish to note that there were some recent relevant discussions in
the past few months at the Tai Po District Council (TPDC) Traffic and
Transport Committee meetings and the relevant information is attached for
your easy reference.

Kind Regards,
Henry LU

E11/CKR
Major Works Project Management Office
Highways Department
Tel: 3695 0612/9445 5861 | Email: [1][email address]

[2]  *** This e-mail message (together
www.hyd.gov.hk with any attachments) is for the
designated recipient only. It may
contain information that is
privileged. If you are not the
intended recipient, you are hereby
notified that any use, retention,
disclosure, copying, printing,
forwarding or dissemination of the
message is strictly prohibited. If
you have received the message in
error, please erase all copies of
the message (including attachments)
from your system and notify the
sender immediately. ***  此電郵訊息(
連同任何附件)只發送給指定收件人。訊
息可能包含享有特權資料。謹此通知,如
你並非預定收件人,嚴禁使用、保留、披
露、複製、列印、轉發或發布此訊息。如
收到誤發的訊息,請把訊息的所有副本(
包括附件)從系統內清除,並立即通知發
件人。***

From:        Henry H LU/HYD/HKSARG
To:        [FOI #652 email]
Date:        21/05/2021 17:42
Subject:        Freedom of Information request - Noise barriers for Tolo
Highway in Pak Shek Kok (Application No. 22/2021) -  Interim Reply

show quoted sections

Dear Highways Department staff,
         I asked the Environmental Protection Department the following
questions
([4]https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/noise_b...) but
the EPD says the information requested may be held by the Highways
Department:

1. In which sections of Tolo highway has noise barriers been built? Please
provide the info such as the lengths and location of the noise barriers,
the rationales of installing them and the dates when they were installed.
2. Please explain why noise barriers were not installed in the section of
Tolo highway next to Chong San Road (where St Martin is located). When was
the decision not to install made? Will the department review this decision
given that a large number residents are living in the neighborhood?

Please process my request under the Code on Access to Information. I've
also asked a few more questions to EPD here
[5]https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/guideli...
Please coordinate with EPD when answering my questions if needed. Thanks
in advance.

Yours sincerely,
Simon Wang

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a request under the Code of Access to Information facilitated via
the accessinfo.hk website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #652 email]

Is [Highways Department request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to
Highways Department? If so, please contact us using this form:
[6]https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
[7]https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. file:///tmp/www.hyd.gov.hk
3. file:///tmp/www.hyd.gov.hk
4. https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/noise_b...
5. https://accessinfo.hk/en/request/guideli...
6. https://accessinfo.hk/en/change_request/...
7. https://accessinfo.hk/en/help/officers