The Highways Department has signed a $1.548 billion design-and-build contract with China Harbour Engineering Company to widen Tuen Mun Road between Yan Oi Town Square and Wong Chu Road.

The works will improve congestion and meet anticipated traffic growth in the northwest New Territories.

Works include widening a 1.5km-long section of Tuen Mun Road from dual two-lane to dual three-lane, building a 450m-long single-lane flyover, rebuilding four existing footbridges, installing noise barriers and enclosures, and other environmental mitigation measures, plus drainage, traffic aids, road lighting, landscaping and geotechnical works.

At the contract signing ceremony today, Director of Highways Wai Chi-sing said this will be the last civil engineering contract of the entire road improvement works for Tuen Mun Road from Tsuen Wan to Tuen Mun Town Centre. The contract will create 850 jobs.

The contractor has adopted the concepts of four winning entries of the open international ideas competition for noise barrier and enclosure design held early last year.

"The design of the noise enclosures is innovative, elegant and modernised with good integration to the proposed footbridges. It has also maintained a good balance on the use of transparent elements to enhance daylight penetration and hence achieve energy saving on road lighting, and green roof to promote the greening effect. It is chosen for its innovation, aesthetically pleasing appearance and good harmony with the local environment," Mr Wai said.