New Territories.
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Plans had been prepared for the building, prior to the alteration of the site, but further action had to be postponed until arrangements for carrying out the reclamation could be made. As no provision for such work had been made in the Estimates for 1913, the matter was ordered to stand over.
1913 Estimates,
1913 Expenditure,..
142. Roads: $4,500.00 Total Estimates, $4,500.00 Expenditure to 31/12/13, Nil ... Nil(a.) San Tin-Au Tau.--This road, which forms a section of the main road from Castle Peak Bay to Shataukok, was completed at the end of November. Its length is 4.73 miles, its width, where carried on embankment, being 8 feet and where in cutting 16 feet. The latter is the width recommended by the Public Works Committee for the road in question (vide Sessional Paper No. 9/1913). The maximum gradient is 1 in 50.
The work included the construction of one bridge, 30 feet and 26 culverts, ranging from one containing three 6 feet spans to a single span of 2 feet, all of these being constructed of ferro-concrete. Pipes, ranging from 15" to 6" diameters, were laid where required for irrigation purposes. As a great depth of alluvial mud was found to exist over most of the route traversed by the road, the foundations of all the culverts had to be well spread. In the case of the bridge, however, the foundations were in solid ground.
Except the bridging of the creek at Au Tau, which has not yet been undertaken, the road from Castle Peak Bay to Fan Ling, a distance of 16.09 miles, is now completed, but, as the greater part of it is only from 6 to 8 feet in width, it is practically useless for wheeled traffic.
A small sum ($25.02), due as compensation, payment of which had been overlooked, remained to be paid in 1914, otherwise, all liabilities were discharged in 1913. It is however stated that some claims may be made in respect of areas from which material to form the embankment carrying the road was obtained.
1913 Estimates, $25,000.00 Total Estimates, $35,300.00 1913 Sup. Vote, $10,300.00 Expenditure to 31/12/13, $34,765.90 $36,000.00 38,690.87(1.) Kam Tin-Au Tau.-With the exception of the bridge at Kam Tin and the approaches to same, this road was completed. It is 1.04 miles in length, its width being 8 feet on embankments and 16 feet in cuttings. The work includes the construction of a 75' bridge (3 25-ft. spans) and one culvert (6-ft. span). The bridge and culvert are both constructed of ferro-concrete. As only pumps...