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NEW FERRY PIER FOR HUNG HOM
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1976
A NEW MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR PASSENGER FERRY PIER IS TO BE BUILT AT HUNG HOM TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING NUMBER OF COMMUTERS.
TENDERS FOR THE PROJECT ARE NOW BEING INVITED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND BUILDING WORKS ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN FEBRUARY.
MR. H.R.A. CHAMBERLAIN, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE P.W.D.'S PORT WORKS DIVISION SAID TODAY THAT THE NEW PIER WOULD BE READY IN LATE 1978, WELL BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF THE GIANT HUNG HOM INDOOR STADIUM NOW BEING BUILT NEAR THE NEW KOWLOON RAILWAY TERMINUS.
+THE NEW INDOOR STADIUM IS CERTAIN TO GENERATE MORE PASSENGER TRAFFIC INTO THE AREA AND THE FERRY SERVICES WILL HAVE AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN COPING WITH THE EXPECTED INFLUX,+ HE SAID.
+THE NEW PIER WILL BE GEARED TO HANDLE THE ADDITIONAL PASSENGER VOLUMES AND WILL PROVIDE MUCH BETTER BERTHING AND PASSENGER FACILITIES.+
THE NEW PIER, HE SAID, WOULD BE BUILT TO THE SOUTH OF THE EXISTING FERRY LANDINGS AND WOULD PROVIDE TWO BERTHS CAPABLE OF HANDLING LARGER PASSENGER VESSELS.
A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE NEW COMPLEX, HE SAID, WOULD BE A COVERED WALKWAY LINKING THE PIER WITH THE FERRY CONCOURSE AND THE RAILWAY TERMINUS.
+THIS FACILITY WILL GIVE PASSENGERS EASY AND CONVENIENT ACCESS BETWEEN THE PIER AND THE NEW TERMINUS, + HE SAID.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN SAID THE NEW PIER WOULD BE A VAST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE EXISTING FACILITIES WITH LARGER AND MORE COMFORTABLE WAITING AREAS FOR PASSENGERS.
THE PIER WOULD BE A TWO-STOREY STRUCTURE WITH TWO BERTHS EACH FITTED WITH ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LIFTS AND RAMPS TO FACILITATE EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING PASSENGERS.
THE EXISTING TWO LANDINGS, HE SAID, WERE SHARED BY THREE FERRY SERVICES AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COPE ADEQUATELY WITH THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN PASSENGERS.
ON THE AVERAGE SOME 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE USE THE SERVICES EVERY MONTH AND THE NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO RISE DRAMATICALLY WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW HUNG HOM INDOOR STADIUM.
MEANWHILE, WORK IS PROGRESSING ON THE $68 MILLION MULTI- PURPOSE INDOOR ́STADIUM BEING BUILT ON THE PODIUM ABOVE THE NEW RAILWAY TERMINUS.
THE STADIUM IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN 1979 AND WILL BE AMONG THE LARGEST OF ITS TYPE IN THE WORLD WITH A SEATING CAPACITY OF 15,000 AT ANY ONE TIME.
THE STADIUM WILL BE FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED AND WILL HAVE FACILITIES FOR EVERYTHING FRÅ GYMNASTICS AND BASKETBALL MATCHES TO THEATRICAL PERFORMANC
MAJOR EXHIBITIONS.