Third traffic study will aid road planning
A MULTI-SPAN bridge at the wes- tern end of Hong Kong harbour, linking Mount Davis, Hong Kong island, with Mong Kok, Kowloon by way of Green Island and Stonecutter's Island, is among proposals contained in the Long Term Road Study made public last month.
The study the third report on Hong Kong's future travel needs was prepared by Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates, consulting engine ers. It will, according to Mr. Michael Wright, director of public works, enable short-term planning over the next five years or so to be placed on a logical and reasonably factual basis against the background of the probable long-term requirements.
The consultants' proposals include elevated roads to increase the carrying capacity of main travel corridors; fly- overs and underpasses to ease conges- tion at major intersections; second tunnel under Lion Rock, and a tunnel to link Aberdeen with the northern part of Hong Kong island.
Travel projections indicate an even- tual demand for a further cross-harbour link in addition to the tunnel already planned, but this scheme is very much in the future, say the consultants. The proposed bridge would cost about HK$297 million. The main span be- tween Mount Davis and Green Island would be 1,800 ft. long with a vertical clearance of 150 ft. On Green Island an elevated loop would link the span with the multi-span bridge to Stonecutter's Island.
Aim of study
The aim of the Long Term Road Study is to predict the amount and pattern of travel demand that may be expected over the next 20 years. It concludes that the travel needs of the people cannot be met wholly by sur- face transport, even if restraint is placed on car ownership, and that a rapid transit system will be needed.
In submitting their report to the director of public works, the consult- ants say: "Although the improvements ... will increase very substantially the traffic capacity of the road network, our investigations show that the roads
in several of the major travel corridors will nevertheless become grossly over- loaded, due to the large numbers of buses and trams which will have to use them unless a separate high capacity public transport system on the lines recommended in the Mass Transport Study report is also provided...'
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The consultants say road traffic in Hong Kong is increasing faster than population, giving a rising living stand- ard as the reason for this. They fore- cast that the number of car owning households will increase from 36,800 in 1965 to 250,000 by 1986 and that the number of daily vehicle trips by private cars and taxis will rise from half- a-million in 1965 to over 21⁄2 million in 1986. Diversion of travel to the recom- mended rapid transit service should re- duce the 1986 forecast of daily vehicle trips to 2,000,000.
The proposals put forward by the consultants embody and confirm the need for most of the Public Works
*** A STONECUTTERS ISLAND
UMUNDA
STAGE 1
*
Lung
Bay and Kellett Bay to secure an ac- ceptable alignment. This new road would continue to Aberdeen. Improve- ments to Wong Chuk Hang Road, Island Road, Repulse Bay Road, Stanley Gap Department's short-term road develop- ment plans.
Long-term proposals
The main long-term proposals are:- On Hong Kong Island: An elevated road to be built from the praya at Ken- nedy Town along Connaught Road to the central business district and linking with Harcourt Road and the new Wa- terfront Road at present under con- struction. This elevated road would continue from North Point through Shau Kei Wan to join up with a new road planned on reclamation in this area and extend to Chai Wan.
On the south side of the island a new road following the foreshore is planned, use being made of the re- claimed areas at Sandy Bay, Waterfall
引 Cheung
Road
[KOWLOON)
STAGE 2 #=
STAGE 3 E
STAGE 4 X;
Stage development plan urban area
*
HONG KONG ISLAND
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Far East BUILDER, November 1968.