272
HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
A start was also made in 1957 on the erection of a second car park, housing 190 cars, on the central reclamation.
CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL AND BRIDGE
After considering the conclusions of an Inter-departmental Working Party appointed to examine the question of a Cross-Harbour Tunnel between Hong Kong and Kowloon on the basis of a report by Messrs. Mott, Hay and Ander- son, Consulting Engineers, published in 1955, the Govern- ment announced in July 1956 that it had decided in present circumstances not to undertake the construction of such a tunnel, and that this decision also applied to a cross-harbour bridge. This subject continued to occupy much public interest and discussion during the year, as did the Govern- ment's announcement in September that in case a workable scheme for a cross-harbour bridge should be devised, sufficient space at Morrison Hill for a bridge terminal would be_kept undeveloped until May 1959. It was subsequently announced that, regardless of whether or not a tunnel or bridge is ever built, the Government had decided to provide a second cross-harbour vehicular-ferry service as quickly as possible and that a private engineer had been engaged to design and supervise the construction of ferry piers at Hung Hom and North Point.
1]
CIVIL AVIATION
Hong Kong Airport (Kai Tak), situated at the base of the Kowloon peninsula, is suitable for both land and sea aircraft. Its two existing runways lie NW/SE and ENE/WSW, being 5,418 feet and 4,756 feet in length respectively. The airport at present operates on a dawn to dusk basis, night operations being restricted to emergency only, due to topographical hazards and limited visual and radio navigational aids. The administrative and operational facilities provided are under the control of the Director of Civil Aviation, who has a small staff of specialist officers