WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1983
PROGRESS ON PROPOSED BRIDGE STUDIES
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THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT TODAY REPORTED PROGRESS ON STUDIES BEING CONDUCTED FOR GOVERNMENT ON THE PROPOSED LEI YUE MUN BRIDGE.
THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY OF 1976 RECOMMENDED THAT A SECOND FIXED HARBOUR VEHICULAR CROSSING BE PROVIDED BY THE END OF THE 1980S, IF FEASIBLE IN TRANSPORT AND FINANCIAL TERMS. THE 1981 FOLLOW-UP STUDY THE STUDY OF ADDITIONAL CROSS HARBOUR FACILITIES+ EXAMINED 17 INITIAL OPTIONS FOR A SECOND CROSSING, REDUCING THESE TO 9 FOR CLOSE EXAMINATION. THAT REPORT RECOMMENDED THAT TAKING TRANSPORT AND FINANCIAL GROUNDS TOGETHER, A BRIDGE AT LEI YUE MUN SUBJECT TO AVIATION REQUIREMENTS WOULD BE THE FIRST CHOICE THE SECOND CHOICE WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL TUBE FOR THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL; AND THE THIRD CHOICE WOULD BE A SUBMERGED TUBE TUNNEL FROM CENTRAL TO KWAI CHUNG.
GOVERNMENT THEREFORE APPOINTED AN AUSTRALIAN CONSULTANT TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY IN TERMS OF AVIATION REQUIREMENTS OF A NUMBER OF BRIDGE DESIGNS IN THREE LOCATIONS AT LEI YUE MUN. THE BRIEF OF THE CONSULTANT WAS TO TEST THE EFFECTS ON THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS)* OF KAI TAK AIRPORT. THIS HE DID BY CONSTRUCTING A SCALE MODEL OF THE AIRPORT, THE LEI YUE MUN CHANNEL, AND THE VARIOUS BRIDGE DESIGNS, AND TESTING THE RESPONSE OF A MODELLED ILS,
THE CONSULTANT FINALLY REPORTED THAT WITH THE PRESENT ILS AT KAI TAK AIRPORT, THE HIGHEST ACCEPTABLE BRIDGE MUST NOT EXCEED AN OVERALL HEIGHT OF 36.8 METRES ABOVE PRINCIPAL DATUM (P.D.)*, TO ENSURE THE CONTINUING SAFE OPERATION OF THE INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM.
A BRIDGE OF THIS OVERALL HEIGHT (36.8 METRES), HOWEVER, IS UNACCEPTABLE IN MARINE CLEARANCE TERMS BECAUSE IT WOULD MEAN THAT LEI YUE MUN CHANNEL COULD ONLY BE USED BY FISHING JUNKS, SMALL NAVAL PATROL BOATS, SMALL PLEASURE CRAFT AND SMALL TO MEDIUM COMMERCIAL CRAFT. IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO DIVERT LARGER VESSELS INCLUDING SOME LOCAL FERRIES AND OCEAN-GOING SHIPS, VIA THE WESTERN APPROACHES. THIS WOULD INCREASE THE RISKS TO SHIPPING AND THE PROBLEMS OF PORT MANAGEMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, DURING ADVERSE WEATHER, CRAFT OPERATING IN EASTERN WATERS WOULD BE ABLE TO REACH PORT ONLY BY TAKING THE LONGER AND MORE EXPOSED ROUTE THROUGH THE EAST LAMMA CHANNEL.
VESSELS WOULD HAVE TO TRAVEL FURTHER TO MAKE THE DETOUR, WHICH WOULD REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT EXTRA COST ON SHORT VOYAGES. THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE POINTS OUT THAT INCREASED TRAFFIC THROUGH THE HARBOUR WOULD INCREASE THE RISK OF COLLISION AND GROUNDINGS.
THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT IN A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY REPORTED THESE RESULTS TO DATE. IN GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF A SECOND FIXED HARBOUR CROSSING.
/HE SAID ..............