NEW BEACON HILL RAILWAY TUNNEL
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CONSTRUCTION OF THE MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR NEW BEACON HILL RAILWAY TUNNEL IS WELL UNDERWAY.
PILOT +BURROWING+ HAS STARTED ON BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH PORTALS AND SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NO MAJOR PROBLEMS.
THE CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERING OFFICE'S RAILWAY DIVISION, MR. LEUNG MIN-SUE, SAID TODAY +EVERYTHING IS FINE. WE ARE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.+
THE NEW 2.3 KM DOUBLE TRACK TUNNEL, COSTING A TOTAL OF ABOUT 197 MILLION, WILL REPLACE THE EXISTING SINGLE TRACK TUNNEL WHICH HAS BEEN IN USE SINCE 1910 AND ACCOMMODATES THE LAST SECTION OF RAILWAY BETWEEN HUNG HOM AND SHA TIN, IT IS BEING CONSTRUCTED TO THE WEST OF THE EXISTING TUNNEL. COMPLETION DATE IS AROUND JUNE 1980.
+ALTHOUGH WE ARE STILL IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES,+ SAID MR. LEUNG, WE DO NOT EXPECT TO BE UNDULY HELD UP.+
THE TUNNEL WILL BE LINED THROUGHOUT WITH CONCRETE WHICH WILL VARY FROM A THICKNESS OF 550 MM NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO 300 MA OVER MOST OF ITS LENGTH WHERE THE TUNNEL WILL PASS THROUGH SOLID ROCK.
THE ROUTE FOR THE NEW TUNNEL WILL IMPROVE THE ALIGNMENT OF THE KCR AND SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE RAILWAY, PARTICULARLY FOR GOODS TRAFFIC.
NEW FERRY PIER FOR SHAM SHUI PO
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A NEW 011 MILLION FERRY PIER WILL COME INTO OPERATION IN SHAM SHUI PO SOME TIME NEXT MONTH.
THE NEW PIER WILL PROVIDE BETTER BERTHING FACILITIES FOR FERRIES. INCLUDING THE LARGE TRIPLE-DECKERS, AND FOR PASSENGERS. MORE THAN 26 MILLION PASSENGERS TRAVELLED BY FERRIES TO SHAM SHUI PO LAST YEAR.
MR. HOWARD CHAMBERLAIN, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE PORT WORKS DIVISION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, SAID TODAY THAT THE TWO-STOREY PIER HAS TWO BERTHS WITH ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LIFTS AND RAMPS TO FACILITATE EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING OF PASSENGERS.
THERE IS ALSO A LARGE CONCOURSE WITH COVERED WALKWAYS, BUS AND PUBLIC LIGHT BUS TERMINI AS WELL AS TAXI RANKS PROVIDING GOOD LAND TRANSPORT TO AND FROM THE PIER.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW PIER, TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THE AREA SHOULD BE CONSIDERABLY REDUCED.
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