WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30, 1980
- 3-
SECOND CARRIAGEWAY OF TUEN MUN HIGHWAY TO
BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 1982
****
THE SECOND THREE-LANE CARRIAGEWAY OF THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 1982, SIX MONTHS EARLIER THAN ORGINALLY PLANNED.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON ALLEN LEE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON DAVID MCDONALD SAID A SECTION OF THE SECOND CARRIAGEWAY NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION BETWEEN TSUEN WAN AND SHAM TSENG WAS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JUNE NEXT YEAR.
+THE PROGRAMME FOR THE FINAL SECTION OF THE ROAD FROM SHAM TSENG TO TUEN MUN HAS RECENTLY BEEN REVISED AND COMPLETION IS NOW PLANNED FOR DECEMBER 1982, THAT IS ABOUT SIX MONTHS EARLIER THAN PREVIOUSLY ENVISAGED, HE ADDED.
REPLYING TO ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MR LEE THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. THE HON DEREK JONES SAID THE NEED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY AND TO OBSERVE TRAFFIC SIGNS ON THIS ROAD HAD ALREADY BEEN GIVEN CONSIDERABLE PUBLICITY IN THE PRESS AND ON TELEVISION AND RADIO.
MR JONES SAID: ALTHOUGH SHARE THE CONCERN WHICH HAS BEEN WIDELY EXPRESSED OVER THE NUMBER OF FATAL ACCIDENTS ON THE HIGHWAY I MUST AGAIN POINT OUT THAT, PROPORTIONATE TO TRAFFIC FLOW, THERE ARE FEWER ACCIDENTS ON THIS ROAD THAN ON OTHER ROADS.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THAT MORE OF THE ACCIDENTS WERE SERIOUS OR FATAL BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER SPEEDS INVOLVED.
+THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT MANY DRIVERS NOT ONLY DRIVE TOO FAST ON THIS ROAD BUT THAT THEY FREQUENTLY NEGLECT TRAFFIC SIGNS AND ROAD MARKINGS.
+A CONSIDERABLE PART OF THE PROBLEM ARISES FROM THE FACT THAT SO FAR ONLY HALF OF THE ROAD HAS BEEN BUILT AND IT THEREFORE HAS TO CATER FOR TWO-WAY TRAFFIC ON A THREE-LANE ROAD OVER MOST OF ITS LENGTH.
THIS MEANS THAT SPEED LIMITS AND ROAD MARKINGS AND SIGNS MUST BE STRICTLY OBSERVED AND, IN PARTICULAR, THAT DOUBLE WHITE LINES MUST NOT BE CROSSED, HE SAID.
+
HOWEVER. MR JONES STRESSED THAT EVEN WHEN THE SECOND HALF OF THE HIGHWAY HAD BEEN BUILT, ALL DRIVERS USING IT WOULD NEED TO FOLLOW CLOSELY THE PRINCIPLES OF MOTORWAY DRIVING.