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Opening. The estimates for most of these are given in detail, the designs of those not given in detail have not been settled yet.
A rather large over bridge is No. 2 where Des Voeux and Gascoigne Roads meet and are taken over the Railway by a Skew Bridge. As originally arranged by Mr. Bruce this bridge was a very wide one, but I managed to obtain sanction for greatly reducing the width, but even now I think it is unnecessarily large.
None of the Major Bridges will give any difficulty I hope. Bridge No. 25 at the South End of Taipo Station will require Well foundations. I propose to use wooden curbs made locally and make each pier and pier abutment of two 14' drain wells sunk about 2 or 3 feet apart, 25 feet into the sand. I had bore holes sunk and could get nothing but sand.
The estimate for Bridge No. 30 is rather large, but I think I will be able to cut out one span. I am watching the floods in this valley, but I think that the tide is the ruling factor here.
The last bridge over the Sam Chun River at Lo Fu consists of 100 feet Deck Span Girder with one 20' span at each side. The banks of this river are very well defined and steep, and the water is rather deep. I did not think it advisable to put a pier in the centre as it would necessitate a rather large cofferdam, which would block up the channel very much during construction. This would be a serious matter as the river is tidal and liable to heavy floods besides. The boundary line between British and Chinese Territory is the high water mark on the North side of the river, so I am proposing that the Chinese Section should pay for the North abutment and 20 feet span, while the British Section pay for the South Abutment, 20 feet and 100 feet span. I have included the cost of the whole bridge, however, in the estimate.
Minor Bridges do not call for much remark.