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SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1980
THOROUGHFARE FOR PEDESTRIANS IN CENTRAL DISTRICT
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COMMUTERS CROSSING CONNAUGHT ROAD CENTRAL WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO FIGHT AGAINST THE HEAVY TRAFFIC, STARTING NEXT WEEK.
AT 10 AM ON MONDAY (MAY 19) ALMOST THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE $25 MILLION CENTRAL FOOTBRIDGE SYSTEM RUNNING FROM PEDDER STREET TO GILMAN STREET WILL BE OPENED TO THE PUBLIC.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SAID WORK ON THE 480-METRE ELEVATED WALKWAY, THE LONGEST OF ITS KIND IN HONG KONG, HAD SUBSTANTIALLY BEEN COMPLETED.
+TO FACILITATE PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS AREA AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT TERMINALS, AND TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW ALONG CONNAUGHT ROAD CENTRAL, IT HAS BEEN DECIDED TO OPEN SECTIONS OF THE FOOTBRIDGE TO THE PUBLIC AS SOON AS THEY ARE COMPLETED, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN RECALLED THAT A SMALL SECTION OF THE COVERED FOOTBRIDGE SYSTEM WAS FIRST OPENED TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY, MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE TO FACILITATE PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT TO AND FROM THE NEARBY MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY STATION.
+OPENING ON MONDAY WILL BE THE REMAINING SECTION OF THE MAIN WALKWAY AND THE FOOTBRIDGE CONNECTING THE PAVEMENT OUTSIDE FIRE BRIGADE BUILDING TO THE MAIN WALKWAY.
+SEVEN OF THE 12 ESCALATORS, WHICH FORM PART OF THE PROJECT, WILL ALSO COME INTO OPERATION, WORKING BETWEEN 7 AM AND 8 PM DAILY WHEN THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC IS HEAVY, HE SAID.
THE COVERED FOOTBRIDGE SYSTEM CAN BE REACHED BY:
* THE FOOTBRIDGE LINKING CONNAUGHT CENTRE AND SWIRE HOUSE,
*
THE ELEVATED WALKWAY ABOVE THE CENTRAL PROMENADE,
*
THE CENTRAL BUS TERMINUS,
* THE STAIR AND ESCALATORS OUTSIDE FIRE BRIGADE BUILDING
IN CONNAUGHT ROAD CENTRAL,
* THE BACK OF THE PUBLIC LIGHT BUS TERMINUS IN FRONT OF THE
VEHICULAR FERRY PIER, AND
* EITHER SIDE OF GILMAN STREET TO THE NORTH OF CONNAUGHT
ROAD CENTRAL.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE COVERED FOOTBRIDGE SYSTEM WOULD NOT ONLY ENABLE PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS THE PRESENTLY CONGESTED CONNAUGHT ROAD CENTRAL WITH EASE AND IN GREATER SAFETY, IT WOULD ALSO PROTECT THEM FROM BAD WEATHER.
AS FOR THE ESCALATORS, HE ADDED, THEY WERE THE FIRST TO BE PROVIDED IN THE OPEN IN THE HISTORY OF HONG KONG. APART FROM ENHANCING PEDESTRIAN COMFORT, THEY WOULD INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF PEDESTRIAN FLOW.
/PE SATT