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MONDAY, MAY 15, 1978
HIGHWAY PROJECTS IN NT
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A DOZEN MAJOR PROJECTS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ARE EITHER IN HAND OR UNDER INVESTIGATION TO IMPROVE THE ROAD SYSTEM IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY MR. AU CHI-LAU, SENIOR ENGINEER, P.W.D.'S HIGHWAYS OFFICE, AT A LIONS CLUB DINNER MEETING TODAY.
MR. AU EXPLAINED THAT THE PRESENT EXPANDED HIGHWAY SYSTEM IN THE NEW TERRITORIES GENERALLY FOLLOWED PROPOSALS OUTLINED IN THE PAPER +TRANSPORT IN HONG KONG.+
HE SAID THAT WHILE THE NUMBER OF REGISTERED VEHICLES HAD DOUBLED DURING THE LAST DECADE, THE TOTAL ROAD MILEAGE THROUGHOUT HONG KONG HAD INCREASED BY 14 PER CENT.
HOWEVER, HE SAID, THIS DID NOT TRULY REFLECT THE WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONÉ TO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC SITUATION.
IT DID NOT INCLUDE WORKS SUCH AS THOSE ON EASING BENDS, AND WIDENING ROADS. WORK SUCH AS THIS, HE EXPLAINED, IMPROVED THE SITUATION BUT IN FACT OFTEN REDUCED THE LENGTH OF ROAD.
THE MAJOR PROJECTS MR. AU OUTLINED IN HIS TALK INCLUDED:
+THE CLEARWATER BAY ROAD IMPROVEMENT SCHEME WHICH IS TO COST MORE THAN $40 MILLION, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1981.
+THE LION ROCK TUNNEL AND TUNNEL ROAD. THE ORIGINAL TUNNEL IS BEING REFURBISHED, AND CONSTRUCTION OF A SECOND CARRIAGEWAY OF THE LION ROCK TUNNEL ROAD IS IN HAN COMPLETION DATE IS EXPECTED TO BE LATER THIS YEAR.
+THE NEW TERRITORIES TRUNK ROAD WHICH WILL PASS THROUGH TAI PO, SHEK KONG, PAT HEUNG AND ON TO AU TAU.
→THE TING KOK ROAD WIDENING PROGRAMME WILL BE COMPLETED EARLY NEXT YEAR, AND WILL PROVIDE BETTER ACCESS TO TAI PO
INDUSTRIAL ESTATE.
+IN THE PLANNING STAGE IS THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD WHICH WILL CATER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF FANLING, SHEUNG SHUI AND THE ADJACENT AREAS. EXISTING ROADS IN THE AREA WILL ALSO BE IMPROVED OR WIDENED.
+ THE PRESENT CARRIAGEWAY BETWEEN YUEN LONG AND AU TAU TOO, WILL BE WIDENED TO DUAL TWO-LANE STANDARD. WORK STARTS EARLY NEXT YEAR AND WILL BE FINISHED IN LATE 1980.
+STAGE TWO OF THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY - ANOTHER THREE LANES SHOULD BE COMPLETED AROUND THE END OF 1980.
OTHER PROJECTS INCLUDED THE TSUEN WAN BY-PASS, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TSUEN WAN - KWAI CHUNG ROAD, SOUTH LANTAU ROAD AND THE ROADS FROM SHA TIN TO TSUEN WAN AND SHA TIN TO LAI CHI KOK.
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