12
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1977
IMPROVEMENTS TO PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD FLYOVER
****
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD, SAID TODAY THAT THE NEW SK ID-RESISTANT TOPPING BEING APPLIED TO PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD FLYOVER WOULD IMPROVE THE SKID RESISTANCE OF THE ROAD BY ABOUT 64 PER CENT,
IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT IN ADDITION TO THE APPLICATION OF THE TOPPING WHICH WOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, VERY LARGE +SLOW+ SIGNS HAD BEEN INSTALLED ALONGSIDE THE ROADWAY TO HELP IMPROVE DRIVING SAFETY ON THE FLYOVER.
ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM DR. THE HON. S.Y. CHUNG, HE SAID THAT +A LONG TERM SOLUTION IS, HOWEVER, BEING EXAMINED WHICH, IF ADOPTED, WOULD ADD ONE EXTRA LANE TO THE ROADWAY AND WOULD PERMIT THE ERECTION OF A CENTRAL DIVIDER.+
UNFORTUNATELY, MR. MCDONALD SAID, THE PRESENT FLYOVER IS OF INSUFFICIENT WIDTH TO ALLOW FOR CRASH BARRIERS TO BE INSTALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CARRIAGEWAY TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF HEAD-ON COLLISIONS.
NOR COULD THE POSSIBILITY OF CLOSING ONE OF THE SOUTHBOUND LANES BE ENTERTAINED.
+ THE DOUBLE SOUTHBOUND LANES ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A FASTER FLOW OF TRAFFIC TO THE SOUTH TO REDUCE THE TRAFFIC BACK UP WHICH WOULD AFFECT THE JUNCTION IN WATERLOO ROAD,+ MR. MCDONALD SAID.
QUESTIONED ABOUT THE TRANSVERSE GRADIENT ON THE CARRIAGEWAY, HE SAID THAT IT WAS +DESIGNED FOR A SPEED OF 30 MPH, WHICH IS THE CORRECT SUPER ELEVATION FOR THE ROAD.+
MR. MCDONALD ALSO SAID THAT +ALTHOUGH THE FLYOVER IS ADEQUATELY DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE VEHICLES TRAVELLING WITHIN THE URBAN SPEED LIMIT OF 30 MPH IT WOULD APPEAR THAT MANY DRIVERS ARE NOT STAYING WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT NOR ARE THEY EXERCISING DUE CARE AND ARE THEREBY PUTTING THEMSELVES AND OTHER ROAD USERS AT RISK.+
EARLIER, SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES SAID THAT IN THE 17-MONTH PERIOD FROM JANUARY 1 LAST YEAR TO MAY 26 THIS YEAR THERE WERE 26 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD FLYOVER WHICH RESULTED IN 12 PERSONS BEING KILLED, 28 SERIOUSLY INJURED AND 34 HAVING SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.
OF THE 26 ACCIDENTS, 13 OCCURRED DURING DAYLIGHT AND
13 AT NIGHT. NO FEWER THAN 17 OF THEM INVOLVED HEAD-ON COLLISIONS.
+ THE SPEED RESTRICTION ON THIS FLYOVER IS 30 MPH AND IT WOULD APPEAR THAT MANY OF THE VEHICLES INVOLVED WERE TRAVELLING AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF THIS LIMIT, MR. JONES SAID.
/+THIS