TUESDAY, JULY 24, 1979
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REFLECTIVE ROAD MARKINGS ON TRIAL IN HONG KONG
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TO IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY AND TO PROVIDE A BETTER MEANS OF GUIDANCE FOR ROAD USERS, THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS INTRODUCING, ON A TRIAL BASIS, A MORE EFFECTIVE TYPE OF ROAD MARKING.
AS A FIRST STEP IN THIS DIRECTION, THE P.W.D. TODAY (TUESDAY) AWARDED A $716,000 CONTRACT TO WIMPEY ASPHALT HONG KONG LTD FOR THE PROVISION AND LAYING OF ABOUT 10,000 SQUARE METRES OF REFLECTIVE THERMOPLASTIC ROAD MARKINGS ON A NUMBER OF ROADS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG.
THE CONTRACT WAS FORMALLY SIGNED BY MR. CHEN SHAO-CHI GOVERNMENT HIGHWAY ENGINEER (WORKS), AND MR. DERYCK ALLISON, CONTRACTS MANAGER OF THE COMPANY,
MR. CHEN SAID: +REFLECTIVE THERMOPLASTICS HAVE BEEN USED FOR ROAD MARKINGS, WITH CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS, IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS BRITAIN, THE UNITED STATES, SAUDI ARABIA AND JAPAN.
+SHOULD THE TRIAL PROVE THAT THIS MATERIAL IS SUITABLE FOR USE IN HONG KONG IT WILL BE MORE WIDELY USED.+
MR. CHEN EXPLAINED THAT THERMOPLASTIC IS A RESINOUS MATERIAL. ITS THICKNESS RANGES BETWEEN 1.5 MM AND 5 MM, WHEN APPLIED ON ROAD SURFACE.
AS IT IS THICKER THAN THE PAINT NORMALLY USED FOR ROAD MARKINGS, HE SAID, IT WON'T BE SO EASILY OBSCURED BY RAIN.
ALSO, THE MINUTE GLASS BEADS MIXED IN THE MARKING MATERIAL GIVE A REFLECTIVE EFFECT AT NIGHT, THUS IMPROVING VISIBILITY,
MR. CHEN POINTED OUT THAT THE NEW THERMOPLASTIC ROAD MARKINGS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE PAINT NORMALLY USED FOR ROAD MARKINGS.
HOWEVER HE ADDED, THE NEW MATERIAL IS ALSO AT LEAST THREE TIMES AS LASTING AND IN CERTAIN LOCATIONS IT WILL LAST CONSIDERABLY LONGER.
+THIS MEANS THAT ROAD MARKINGS DO NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED OR REPAINTED AS FREQUENTLY AS AT PRESENT, THUS REDUCING THE INCONVENIENCE TO THE MOTORISTS TO THE MINIMUM,+ HE SAID.
WORK ON THE CONTRACT, WHICH ALSO COVERS THE REMOVAL OF OLD ROAD MARKINGS WHEN NECESSARY, IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SOON AND BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF JANUÁRY NEXT YEAR.