WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1982
8
ADEQUATE ROAD SYSTEM PLANNED FOR NT
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS CAREFULLY PLANNED FOR AN ADEQUATE ROAD SYSTEM TO CATER FOR THE NEEDS OF THE INCREASING POPULATION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON DAVII MCDONALD, SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE IMMENSE SCALE OF THE WORKS INVOLVED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD AND ITS LINKS TO PRESENT AND FUTURE BORDER CROSSINGS INTO CHINA, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO UNDERTAKE ITS CONSTRUCTION ALL AT ONCE, HE ADDED.
HE WAS REPLYING TO POINTS RAISED BY THE HON WONG PO-YAN CONCERNING HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
MR MCDONALD POINTED OUT FOR EXAMPLE THAT IN THE SECTION FROM YUEN LONG TO SHA TIN VIA FANLING ABOUT 30 KILOMETRES OF HIGH-SPEED DUAL CARRIAGEWAY WERE INVOLVED, TOGETHER WITH INTERCHANGES AND SERVICE ROADS.
+ IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO PROCEED IN STAGES AND ACCORD PRIORITY TO THOSE SECTIONS OF THE ROUTE WHERE THE NEED IS GREATEST.
+WORK ON THE SECTION MOST URGENTLY NEEDED, THE COASTAL ROAD FROM SHA TIN TO THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF TAI PO, IS PROCEEDING SATISFACTORILY AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF 1984 AT A COST OF SOME $680 MILLION, HE SAID.
THE CONTINUATION TO NORTH TAI PO WAS ALSO UNDER WAY AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY MID-1985. WORK ON OTHER SECTIONS OF THE ROUTE AND ITS INTERCHANGES HAD EITHER ALREADY STARTED OR WOULD START NEXT YEAR, SO THAT BY THE END OF 1985 MOST OF IT, INCLUDING ALL THE SECTIONS FROM SHA TIN TO FANLING AND AN EXTENSION TO THE BORDER AT LOK MA CHAU, WILL BE COMPLETED, HE SAID.
THE FINAL SECTION OF THE ROUTE, FROM LOK MA CHAU TO AU TAU, WOULD BE BUILT AND BROUGHT INTO USE IN STAGES BETWEEN 1985 AND 1987, HE ADDED.
MR MCDONALD REFERRED TO THE PROPOSAL BY THE HON CHAN KAM-CHUEN THAT STUDIES BE UNDERTAKEN TO IMPROVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF HONG KONG.
ON THE PROPOSAL TO BUILD A RESERVOIR AT TAI TAM BAY, HE SAID IT HAD TO BE SEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF CURRENT THINKING ON FUTURE WATER SUPPLIES.
+BASICALLY, THE POSITION IS THAT BY FAR THE CHEAPEST SOURCE OF ADDITIONAL WATER AVAILABLE TO US IS CHINA, AND WE HAVE AN ON-GOING AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO MEET PREDICTED ADDITIONAL DEMANDS,
+WE ALSO HAVE ADEQUATE STORAGE FACILITIES. ANY CAPITAL WORKS AIMED AT TAPPING NEW SOURCES OR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL STORAGE CAPACITY COULD NOT THEREFORE BE JUSTIFIED EITHER IN TERMS OF NEED OR HAVING REGARD TO OTHER COMPETING DEMANDS ON AVAILABLE FUNDS, HE SAID.
/ON THE