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be 8,350 feet long and 200 feet wide, has been constructed on a promontory 800 feet in width and extending for 1 miles into Kowloon Bay from which it was reclaimed. The runway and parallel taxiway are stressed to take aircraft weighing up to 400,000 lbs. all-up weight, and cleared areas of 300 feet and 800 feet will be provided at the south-east and north-west ends of the runway. It is expected that all work in connexion with the runway will be completed by March 1959.
This was the most important public works project of the year and marks the virtual completion of the first stage in the Airport Development Plan which is designed to provide an international airport capable of operating on a 24-hour basis and of handling the new jet and prop-jet aircraft which are now expected to be flying on the Pacific routes by the middle of 1959.
The construction of the new airport, which is being financed from local funds with an interest-free loan of £3,000,000 from the United Kingdom Government, is estimated to cost at least $130,000,000 (£8,150,000). All phases of the constructional planning and work are being supervised by the consulting engineers, Messrs. Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick and Partners, working under the direction of the Director of Public Works; the Director of Civil Aviation co-ordinates the operational requirements. Overall plan- ning and expenditure are reviewed as necessary by an Airport Progress Committee, under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Financial Secretary (Economic).
Upon the closing of the two old runways, work began immedi- ately on the second stage of the development plan, which involves the construction of a new terminal aircraft parking area capable of accommodating up to eleven large aircraft; the provision of a hydrant refuelling system to be controlled from the new fuel farm; the construction of a new freight building which will be used as a temporary terminal building for about eighteen months; and the building of a new airport airmail centre and other ancillary services. This stage is due for completion by the end of May 1959 and by that time the full airport and approach lighting systems will have been installed, certain radio and radar approach and navigational aids will be in position, and the airport will be operating on a 24-hour basis.