TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1974.
BRIDGE TO LANTAU ISLAND
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THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS ISSUING AN OPEN INVITATION TO INTERESTED FIRMS TO SUBMIT PRELIMINARY PROPOSALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BRIDGE LINKING THE NORTH EASTERN PART OF LANTAU ISLAND WITH THE NEW TERRITORIES MAINLAND.
HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT EMPHASISES THAT THERE IS NO COMMIT- MENT ON ITS PART TO ACCEPT ANY PROPOSAL AND THAT NO DECISION IN PRINCIPLE HAS YET BEEN TAKEN ON WHETHER OR NOT TO BUILD A BRIDGE.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN A NUMBER OF ENQUIRIES INTO THE POSSIBILITY OF A BRIDGE DEING BUILT BY PRIVATE ENTERPRISE IN RETURN FOR A GRANT OF LAND ON LANTAU FOR DEVELOPMENT.
HE POINTED OUT THAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REQUESTS FROM PRIVATE DEVELOPERS FOR LAND ON LANTAU ISLAND FOR A MULTIPLICITY OF PURPOSES AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS ENGAGED A FIRM OF CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS TO CONSIDER HOW THAT ISLAND SHOULD BE DEVELOPED.
+OBVIOUSLY ANY LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT OF LANTAU WILL HAVE TO PROCEED ON THE BASIS OF A DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE ISLAND AS A WHOLE WHICH, IN TURN, MUST BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE BROAD PLANNING PROPOSALS FOR HONG KONG AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.
+ IT IS ALSO OBVIOUS THAT FOR ANY CONSIDERABLE DEVELOPMENT COTHER THAN RECREATIONAL TO TAKE PLACE ON LANTAU ISLAND, A DIRECT VEHICULAR LINK WOULD BE AT LEAST HIGHLY DESIRABLE, AND THAT, PREFERABLY, THIS LINK SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE DEVELOPMENT,+ THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
IN ORDER TO ASCERTAIN THE BROAD TERMS AND CONDITIONS WHICH MAY HAVE TO BE OFFERED IF THE BRIDGE IS TO BE BUILT BY PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, THE GOVERNMENT INVITES FIRMS CHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN UNDERTAKING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDCE TO INDICATE BROADLY:
* A TIMETABLE ENVISAGED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE=
-
*
WHETHER ANY RESTRICTIONS WOULD BE PLACED ON ITS ALIGNMENT, DESIGN OR SIZE=
*
THE FIRM TO BE EMPLOYED ON THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE=
* THE AMOUNT OF LAND EXPECTED TO BE ALLOCATED ON NORTH
EASTERN LANTAU, THE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT PROPOSED AND THE TIMING ENVISAGED FOR IT=
/ WHOTWIER