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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1977
HIGH-CAPACITY BRIDGE TO BE BUILT AT YUEN CHAU TSAI
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A BRIDGE, FORMING PART OF THE PROPOSED NEW TERRITORIES TRUNK ROAD SYSTEM, WILL BE BUILT SHORTLY AT YUEN CHAU TSAI, TAI PO.
TENDERS FOR THE PROJECT, COMPRISING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE BRIDGE AND ITS APPROACH ROADS, ARE BEING INVITED BY THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
MR. CHEN SHAO-CHI, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE HIGHWAYS (NEW TERRITORIES) DIVISION, SAID THAT THE WORK WAS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN NOVEMBER AND WOULD TAKE ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
WHEN COMPLETED, HE SAID, IT WOULD REPLACE THE TWO EXISTING BRIDGES NEAR THE RAILWAY'S LEVEL-CROSSING WHICH HAD TO BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR A GRADE-SEPARATED INTERCHANGE NEAR ISLAND HOUSE.
+THE NEW BRIDGE, WHICH WILL BE 30 METRES WIDE. HAS BEEN SO DESIGNED THAT IT COULD BE WIDENED IN FUTURE TO PROVIDE SIX TRAFFIC LANES, THREE IN EACH DIRECTION, ONE BICYCLE TRACK AND FOOTWAYS ON BOTH SIDES, MR. CHEN SAID.
IN ADDITION, A CONCRETE-LINED STORMWATER CHANNEL WOULD ALSO BE CONSTRUCTED TO DIRECT THE TAI PO RIVER UNDER THE NEW BRIDGE INTO TOLO HARBOUR.
DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BRIDGE, TWO-WAY TRAFFIC WOULD BE MAINTAINED ON TAI PO ROAD, HE SAID.
AS TO THE PROPOSED NEW TERRITORIES TRUNK ROAD SYSTEM, WHICH WILL LINK SHA TIN NEW TOWN WITH TAI PO, MR. CHEN SAID IT WOULD BE BUILT IN STAGES.
+ THE FIRST STAGE INCLUDES THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COASTAL ROAD LINKING SHA TIN TO ISLAND HOUSE.
+STAGE TWO WILL INVOLVE THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANOTHER SECTION OF THE TRUNK ROAD BETWEEN ISLAND HOUSE AND TAI PO TAU RUNNING ALONG THE HILLSIDE TO BYPASS THE EXISTING TAI PO MARKET TOWN.+
ON COMPLETION IN 1981, MR. CHEN SAID, THE NEW TRUNK ROAD WOULD BE ABLE TO COPE WITH THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN TRAFFIC BETWEEN SHA TIN NEW TOWN AND TAI PO.
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