Road and Tai Tam Road are also pro- existing Tai Po Road, which links up posed in the study.
with the Lion Rock Tunnel, be im- proved as far as Fanling. A new road, partly in tunnel, is proposed to link Tsuen Wan with Sha Tin.
Another major feature of the pro- posals for the island is the eventual construction of a four-lane tunnel link- ing Aberdeen with Happy Valley. This tunnel has already been suggested by the Public Works Department and is shown on the statutory town plan for Aberdeen.
In Kowloon: Four important routes are planned, three of them radiating from the north end of the proposed cross harbour tunnel at Hung Hom. These are:
(b)
(a) A north-south route following the line of Princess Margaret Road and Waterloo Road, with flyovers and underpasses at the junctions of Argyle Street, Prince Edward Road and Boundary Street to sustain high capacity. This route would be linked to the Lion Rock Tunnel which would eventually be duplicated to provide four traffic lanes. An elevated road along Gascoigne Road, through Yau Ma Tei, across the typhoon shelter to Sham Shui Po and joining the existing road network at Lai Chi Kok with a direct link to the new coastal road through Tsuen Wan. An elevated road along Chatham Road and To Kwa Wan Road, and extending by tunnel under Kai Tak Airport to link up with the existing Kwun Tong Road where the road is again elevated. Com- prehensive improvements are al- so suggested for Prince Edward Road between the Kowloon City Roundabout and Choi Hung Roundabout. These latter pro- posals are already in the public works programme and detailed designs are nearing completion. (d) A circumferential route follow-
(c)
ing the alignment of Lung Cheung Road, linking the Kwai Chung Coastal Road with Kwun Tong. It is recommended that this road be widened to six lanes and six flyovers are proposed along its length.
In New Territories: It is planned to increase capacity on roads connecting the urban area with the major popula- tion centres in the New Territories as these are developed.
It is suggested that the Kwai Chung Coastal Road should be extended to Tsuen Wan on new reclamation to link up with Castle Peak Road which it is already planned to improve to dual carriageway standards on a new align- ment. It is also recommended that the
Cross Harbour Links: In the deve- lopment plan for road improvements over the next 18 years, the consultants assume that the Cross Harbour Tunnel between Wan Chai and Hung Hom will be completed. On this assumption they recommend that in the final stage of the development programme an addi- tional harbour crossing on the western side of the harbour be provided.
The consultants say that several of their proposals in the development plan appear suitable for the charging of tolls to permit the construction costs to be recovered over the useful life of the highway, but point out that the im- position of tolls on the new traffic routes may lead to unacceptable con- gestion on the alternative free routes.
Four-stage development
The consultants suggest that road development work should be carried out in four stages, tied to the expected increase in car ownership and travel demand. Based on their forecasts of growth they have assumed a series of four five-year plans starting in 1966 (when their survey commenced) and ending 1971, 1976, 1981 and 1986. ending 1971, 1976, 1981 and 1986. Work required for each route has been sub-divided into segments that can be constructed independently.
The average annual cost of the pro- posed work rises from $63 million during the first stage of three years to
CASTLE
PEAK
山青
STAGE 2 *=
STAGE 3 *E
STAGE 4 BE
YUEN LONG
ut
Stage development plan New Territories
$160 million in the last five-year period. This means an average annual spending of about $114 million during the 18- year construction period assumed by the consultants.
Commenting on the report, the di- rector of public works, Mr. Michael Wright said: "There are so many vari- ables which affect the estimates of travel demand and the associated road traffic that the figures deduced by the consultants and their road construction proposals for the 1986 conditions must be treated with reserve." But this com- ment, he added, should not be taken as in any way detracting from the very real value of the report both for long term and short term road planning.
He said that a number of the con- sultants' proposals had been foreseen by the P.W.D. As an example he quoted the north-east corridor in Kowloon, the Waterfront Road in Hong Kong, the Tsuen Wan/Castle Peak Road, the Aber- deen tunnel and the elevated roadway along Hong Kong's waterfront. Not all these projects, he said, could be undertaken simultaneously and the re- port would be of great value to the department when trying to assess prio- rities for construction over the next few years.
Mr. Wright said that the report would be used by the Public Works Department primarily as an aid in their forward planning, including the prepa- ration of subsequent five-year road pro- grammes. The report, he added, would require constant up-dating and this would be carried out at regular intervals by the staff of the P.W.D. Traffic and Transport Survey Unit.
TSUEN WAN
TSING YI
ISLAND
FANLING
鑽料
TAI PO MARKET
田沙
SHA TIN,
Far East BUILDER, November 1968.
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