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COMMUNICATIONS
workshops are also being planned near Sha Tin in the New Territories.
ROADS
There are 542 miles of roads maintained by Government; 193 miles on Hong Kong Island, 147 miles in Kowloon and 202 miles in the New Territories. Traffic congestion is increasing, although it has not yet become as serious as in some western cities, and large programmes of road construction, improvements, and maintenance have been necessary. Major road projects during the year cost $25.6 million and $11.9 million was spent on improvements and main-
tenance.
On Hong Kong Island, a new traffic route between the Mid-levels and the Central District was completed to relieve pressure on Garden Road. This project entailed the construction of a 200-foot flyover and a linked traffic light system. Congestion in Garden Road and the Central District around the Cricket Club will be further relieved by a comprehensive scheme which includes the construction of a completely new road parallel to Garden Road and no less than seven flyovers. As a first stage of this major project, work was started on a 960-foot flyover along Harcourt Road and the new road between Harcourt Road and Queen's Road East.
In Kowloon, only one short section remains to be completed of the re-construction of Nathan Road, the major traffic artery. Work on this last section is expected to start in 1965. The com- pletion of the additional carriage-way on the Castle Peak Road near Lai Chi Kok Hospital eased traffic conditions on this important route out of Kowloon to the western side of the New Territories. Work on the new Tai Po Road-Castle Peak Road Link Road is in hand and on completion in 1966 it will enable traffic from Eastern Kowloon to bypass the densely-populated and industrial north-
western areas.
Work has started on the flyover to carry traffic on Nairn Road over the roundabout at the Argyle Street/Waterloo Road junction. This project forms part of the main traffic route planned from Tsim Sha Tsui to Lion Rock Tunnel. Work also started on the two-mile long tunnel approach road to connect the northern portal of the Lion Rock Tunnel with Tai Po Road at Sha Tin. The tunnel itself is expected to be open for traffic at the end of 1966.