If one man could take credit for completing the Route 3 Country Park section ahead of schedule it is Peter Allwood, project director of the Route 3 Contractors Consortium (R3CC). It was his job to keep the three contractors, which make up R3CC, on target. However, Mr Allwood, a 36-year construction veteran, admits it was a team effort. When drill-and-blast tunnelling started in 1996, rapid progress - up to 150 metres a month on each of the drives - soon put the project ahead of schedule. It gave Mr Allwood the first inkling work would be finished early. 'I thought it could be two months early, until it got to two and then I thought why not two and a half months and then three,' he said. Tunnelling was completed 11 weeks early last June. The Route 3 Construction Consortium, consisting of Nishimatsu Construction, Dragages et Travaux Publics and Gammon Construction, was unusual because, unlike most similar groupings, each firm acted independently. John Porter, Nishimatsu projects director and head of the overall contractors' supervisory board, said each firm had its own management style, company operations and even language. Nishimatsu Construction was given the responsibility of building the northern section of the 3.8-kilometre-long Tai Lam tunnels, including the ventilation and electrical services buildings. Dragages built the tunnel's southern section, ventilation and electrical services buildings and excavated the approaches to the Ting Kau Bridge. Gammon Construction built the 8.2 kilometres of expressway. This included the Yuen Long approach road, from the northern tunnel portal to the Au Tau and Yuen Long interchange. This division of work not only led to contractors feeling more comfortable but also engendered an element of competition into the project. 'Sometimes Dragages was ahead and sometimes Nishimatsu was ahead and Dragages was eager to catch up. It worked very well,' Mr Allwood said. This strength partly concerned the innovative construction techniques that were used. Nishimatsu, working in an area of poor quality rock, decided to toughen the line of the tunnel roof. Engineers installed horizontal pipes that were jet grouted as they were withdrawn to form a cementious ring. Both contractors used computer-controlled Jumbo drilling rigs for holes for the explosives. Dragages used an innovative slurry emulsion explosive material that only became active when it was mixed inside the drill holes. It also used ground-breaking techniques to dispose of the 5.5 million cubic metres of material from its tunnel works. The engineers installed a 1.6-kilometre-long conveyor belt from its tunnel portal to discharge at a spoil heap close to Gemini beach. Material excavated by Nishimatsu and Gammon was later crushed and incorporated into the embankments on the Yuen Long approach road. Main design of the works was done by Maunsell Consultants Asia in association with Scott Wilson. But another consultant, Ove Arup & Partners, was appointed independent checking engineer to ensure the designs were carried out properly. The concession agreement between the Government and the Route 3 (CPS) Company covered nine main elements, including the basic franchise, financing and taxation, toll structure, design, construction and future maintenance. Initial design work had already been done by the Highways Department before the concession was awarded. Detailed design was the responsibility of the contractor through Maunsell/Scott Wilson. As each design package was completed - and there were more than 1,000 - they had to be sent to the Highways Department which would circulate them to 'interested parties' - mainly other government departments. Regular weekly meetings were also held so that approval in principle with conditions could be given to the plans. STEPS TO SUCCESS Consortium project director shares out credit to team effort Division of work added element of competition into the scheme Innovative construction techniques used to solve problems
