A new public pier on Cheung Chau was opened today (March 16) to better serve local residents and tourists visiting this scenic island.
"The Government gave thorough consideration to functional needs and economic effectiveness in the pier reconstruction to make it both functionally efficient and structurally safe," a spokesman for the Civil Engineering and Development Department said.
The new pier, comprising four berths and a new tensile fabric membrane roof, is built on piles to avoid hindering water circulation and dredging mud from the seabed. The design is especially beneficial to nearby marine habitats.
The old Cheung Chau public pier, built in the early 1950s, was the island's major facility for loading and unloading of goods, and running kaito operation between other islands.
After having been in use for more than 50 years, frequent maintenance was required to remedy defects, such as reinforcement corrosion and concrete spalling, in the reinforced concrete structure of the pier.
"Instead of carrying out further maintenance, it was going be more cost-effective to rebuild the pier," the spokesman said
"The reconstruction works started in May, 2003, at a cost of $27 million. The environmental impact of the works was closely monitored to ensure that the water quality was not affected during the construction period," he said.
Ends/Wednesday, March 16, 2005
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