COMMUNICATIONS
169
Works have been commenced at the University and the Tai Po Kau Railway Stations to modernise the signalling equipment from semaphore signals to colour light signals. Also structural elements of the proposed new Railway Terminus at Hung Hom are in the design stage, while drainage and permanent way work are expected to start during the coming year.
ROADS
There are 605.89 miles of road in the Colony maintained by Government of which 203.00 are on Hong Kong Island, 178.72 in Kowloon, and 224.17 in the New Territories. The planning and design of new roads as well as improvements to the existing road network were continued in accordance with a programme of priorities, which was reviewed annually. A total of $48.0 million was spent on major projects together with $11.6 million on road improvement and maintenance during the year.
On Hong Kong Island, the completion of Cotton Tree Drive up to the MacDonnell Road junction marked another stage in the implementation of the Garden Road complex designed to improve traffic flow between the central business district and the mid-levels. The widening of Upper Albert Road, including the improvement of its junction with Garden Road, was also completed.
Progress was maintained on the construction of the Waterfront Road which links Harcourt Road at the western end of Wan Chai with King's Road at North Point. Several sections of this road were completed during the year and were opened to traffic successively to relieve traffic congestion in the Wan Chai and Causeway Bay areas. As a continuation of the Waterfront Road along the north coast of the Island, planning and design were carried out on the extension of this major traffic route eastward through North Point to Shau Kei Wan.
In Kowloon, two flyovers and one interchange were completed. These are the Pui Ching Road/Fat Kwong Street flyover, the Lai Chi Kok interchange and the flyover at Choi Hung Road. The flyover at Choi Hung Road forms part of a $40 million flyover complex at the Kowloon City roundabout and the Prince Edward Road/Choi Hung Road roundabout and was the first of the five