Tseung Kwan O Promenade Southern Bridge, Hong Kong

NEC has been used to procure an iconic seaside footbridge in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. The 150 m long bowstring-arch crossing over the Eastern Channel of Junk Bay opened in February 2024, providing a more direct walking route between Lohas Park residential development and the town centre.

The Civil Engineering Development Department (CEDD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China awarded the HK$174 million (£17 million) works to China Road and Bridge Corporation under an NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC) Option A (priced contract with activity schedule) in January 2021. Despite facing serious interruption from various waves of Covid-19 throughout the construction period, the contract was completed on schedule and within budget in December 2024.

The works involved manufacturing, delivering and installing a S690QL high-strength steel bridge structure, featuring a 6 m wide sinusoidal deck supported by an 18 m high diagonal arch rib via steel-plate hangers. The bridge was prefabricated in three sections in mainland China and delivered to site by barge. After the detailed assessment on the potential challenges and difficulties in delivering the 100 m long main span section across the partly completed Cross Bay Link viaduct (see NEC case study), it was decided to temporarily lift and place this section onto the viaduct deck while the barge passed underneath. 

The contract included building reinforced concrete piers on both sides of the channel, and access ramps to Tseung Kwan O Waterfront Promenade and Tseung Kwan O South Waterfront Promenade. In addition, a sewage pumping station and 560 m long sewage rising mains were constructed at Lohas Park Road. Aecom Asia Company Limited was the NEC project manager and NEC supervisor.

Collaborative environment

The project manager (east) of CEDD, Michael Leung, says adoption of NEC enabled the project team to operate in a truly collaborative environment. ‘Through proactive risk management, transparent communication and clear delineation of responsibilities, the project team delivered the works efficiently while achieving our safety, quality and cost objectives.’ 

He adds that NEC’s structured approach to health and safety – with regular risk reviews, an effective early warning mechanism and a shared focus on safety – contributed to the achievement of a zero-accident record throughout the project. 

Leung says that since its opening in February 2024, the bridge has quickly become a new landmark along the Tseung Kwan O waterfront, enjoying widespread popularity among the local community. ‘We took great pride in realising this project and contributing to people’s wellbeing and happiness. Furthermore, the flexibility built into the NEC framework empowered the team to implement value engineering solutions, generating added benefits for the community and all stakeholders involved.’

Managing risk

Aecom director Robin Sham emphasises that the NEC early warning mechanism was effectively implemented in the project to facilitate risk management and mitigation. ‘A good example was the need for the prefabricated main span to “step over” the Cross Bay Link viaduct. The contractor issued an early warning to draw the employer’s and project manager’s attention to the associated risks.’ 

He says risk-reduction meetings were then held to refine the details of the step-over operation to ensure there was no danger to both Cross Bay Link and the footbridge structure. ‘With NEC-inspired collaboration involving all parties, the main span of the footbridge was safely transported over the Cross Bay Link and delivered to the designated location without delay.’

He says NEC processes ensured that all other risks arising during construction, including Covid-19, were mitigated collaboratively and promptly by the project team, minimising the cost and time implications. ‘The result was that in December 2024, the entire project was completed on programme, within the approved project expenditure, with good workmanship and with zero accidents.’

Benefits of using NEC

• NEC enabled the project team to operate in a truly collaborative environment, with proactive risk management, transparent communication and clear delineation of responsibilities.
• NEC early warning process ensured that any risks arising during construction were mitigated collaboratively and promptly by the project team, minimising cost and time implications.
• NEC’s structured approach to health and safety – with regular risk reviews, an effective early warning mechanism and a shared focus on safety – contributed to achieving zero accidents.

Take a look at the project highlight video