AECOM provided for Hong Kong a comprehensive urban flood control master plan study, and engineered some of the most critical component of that blueprint, including the Hong Kong West Drainage Tunnel in response to the increased community expectations for high flood protection standards.
The construction of the Hong Kong West Drainage Tunnel (HKWDT) is to alleviate the flooding risks to meet the community’s increased expectations for higher flood protection standards. The HKWDT project consists of a system of 32 catchment intakes, dropshafts, adits and a drainage tunnel. Most of the intakes will have vertical shafts connected with adits joining to the main tunnel, traversing along the Northern Part of Hong Kong Island from Tai hang to Pok Fu Lam.

During construction, two tunnel boring machines (TBM) were be used to excavate the tunnel from the two ends, with one section of the tunnel (7.25m internal diameter) driven from the Western Portal at Cyberport for 6,650 meters, and the other section (6.25m internal diameter driven from the Eastern Portal at Tai Hang Road for 3,950 meters. A TBM dismantling chamber was designed at the mid-point of the tunnel to recover the TBM elements. This was to facilitate the concurrent tunnel excavation by two TBM’s starting from the both ends of the tunnel. The total is approximately 10.5km. The tunnel is permanently lined by precast concrete segments, erected by the TBM as excavation progresses. AECOM was appointed by the Dragages-Nishimatsu Joint Venture (DNJV) as the designer to carry out the detailed design for the design and construction contract for the project.

As a key component of and jointly with other components of Hong Kong’s urban flood control drainage system, the project is collectively recognized by the 12th Jeme Tien Yow Award, China’s highest recognition of engineering excellence, in 2014.