SUNDAY, MARCH 31, 1985
J
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THE NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, WHICH HAD ALREADY BROUGHT ABOUT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE PAST 10 YEARS, WAS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND BY THE EARLY 1990S NEARLY THREE MILLION PEOPLE WOULD BE LIVING IN THE MODERN ENVIRONMENT OF NEW TOWNS. THE MAJORITY OF THESE WOULD BE IN TSUEN WAN, SHA TIN, TUEN MUN, TAI PO AND FANLING WITH NEARLY 250 000 BEING HOUSED AT TIN SHUI WAI AND JUNK BAY WHERE DEVELOPMENT WAS JUST STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE.
BESIDES HOUSING, IT WAS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE WATER SUPPLIES, SEWAGE DISPOSAL AND ROAD SYSTEMS FOR THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS PLUS IMPORTANT COMMUNITY FACILITIES LIKE SCHOOLS, CLINICS, FIRE STATIONS, POLICE STATIONS, MARKETS, PARKS, OPEN SPACES AND SPORTING FACILITIES WHICH MADE LIFE IN THE NEW TOWNS ATTRACTIVE TO PEOPLE MOVING FROM THE OLDER CENTRES OF POPULATION.
+GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY EXPENDITURE ON THE NEW TOWNS IS RUNNING AT ABOUT $5 BILLION PER ANNUM AND THIS IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME, HE SAID.
DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT HAD SPENT OVER $9 BILLION ON TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING SUCH MAJOR NEW ROADS AS TUEN MUN ROAD, TSUEN WAN BYPASS AND THE SOON-TO-BE OPENED SHA TIN-TAI PO COASTAL ROAD.
MR CHAN SAID THAT THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD WAS TAKING SHAPE AND WORK WOULD COMMENCE LATER THIS YEAR ON THE SECTION FROM PAK SHEK AU TO MAI PO. FURTHER PHASES WOULD EXTEND THE ROAD TO JOIN CASTLE PEAK ROAD AT AU TAU, THUS COMPLETING THE CIRCLE.
WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS OF CROSS BORDER TRAFFIC WITH CHINA, IMPROVEMENTS HAD BEEN MADE TO MAN KAM TO AND FANLING/SHA TAU KOK ROADS AND A NEW ROAD HAD BEEN PLANNED TO LINK THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD TO THE NEW CROSSING POINT AT LOK MA CHAU WHICH IN TURN WOULD JOIN THE HIGHWAY TO GUANGZHOU ON THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE BORDER.
ON IMPROVEMENT TO BE MADE TO THE ROAD SYSTEM IN THE URBAN AREA, MR CHAN SAID THAT IT WAS PLANNED TO COMPLETE THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR THROUGH TO CHAI WAN AND TO PROCEED WITH THE IMPROVEMENT OF CONNAUGHT ROAD SO THAT TRAFFIC WOULD BE ABLE TO FLOW FREELY ALONG THE NORTHERN SHORE OF HONG KONG ISLAND.
IN KOWLOON, THE COMPLETION OF THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR WOULD PROVIDE A FREE FLOW THROUGH TO LAI CHI KOK AND THE CONTAINER PORT AT KWAI CHUNG.
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ALREADY UNDER PLANNING WAS A NEW ROAD ESTIMATED TO COST ABOUT $1 BILLION - TO CONNECT SHA TIN WITH TSUEN WAN. A SECOND TUNNEL IN THE DIAMOND HILL AREA WAS BEING EXPLORED AND THERE WAS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF ANOTHER NEW ROAD LINKING TSUEN WAN WEST DIRECTLY WITH YUEN LONG.
/OTHER PLANS ....