7
Monday, July 3, 1972
The route then continues on a further section of embankment before
reaching the high-level spans which climb to meet Princess Margaret Road. These
high-level spans presented special problems since they cross the main Kowloon-
Canton Railway line and in part are 60 feet above ground. For this reason
the contractor chose to work entirely at deck level, including the launching
and placing of 70' O" long beams weighing up to 36 tons, by using launching
equipment and hanging platforms all of which had to be fabricated and fitted
on site,
Blasting
Foundations for this section were in part piled, in part pad footings
upon rock, but adjacent to the railway caissons five feet in diameter had to
be sunk to a depth of 65-feet before suitable bearing capacity was found. То
marry in with this route, the existing Princess Margaret Road south bound
carriageway was lowered, and the north bound carriageway widened, Excavation
in rock immediately alongside the cutting face above the Kowloon-Canton Railway,
which of necessity required blasting operations, had to be co-ordinated in detail
with the railway authorities and police to avoid any risk to the users of either
road or rail. In the event, the entire work for the high-level route was
completed without accident or undue interference to road or rail traffic.
The east west route runs alongside and partly occupies the existing
Chatham Road, but has been elevated to allow track crossing at original ground
level to serve the new Hung Hom Railway Terminus area. The new road is again
on an embankment, but in this ease for most of the length the embankment slopes
are grassed. Alongside the railway alignment, however, 33-foot-high retaining
walls had to be provided and by reason of poor ground conditions these are of the
counterfort type entirely supported on piles.
/There