MONDAY, JULY 31, 1989
GOVERNOR VISITS HIGHWAY AND TUNNEL PROJECTS
THE GOVERNMENT WILL PRESS AHEAD WITH THE MAJOR TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURAL PROGRAMMES ESSENTIAL TO HONG KONG'S LONG-TERM ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
ON A TOUR OF MAJOR HIGHWAY AND TUNNEL PROJECTS, HE NOTED THAT GREAT INTEREST CONTINUED TO BE SHOWN BY BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIA IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FINANCING OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS MULTI-NATIONAL INVOLVEMENT BILLION EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING, ONE OF THE FOUR MAJOR THE GOVERNOR VISITED THIS AFTERNOON.
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HONG KONG'S
WAS THE $4 TUNNELS THAT
THE FOUR TUNNELS - EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING, JUNK BAY TUNNEL, ROUTE 5 AND TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL
OVERALL ARE BEING BUILT AT AN
COST OF MORE THAN $7.5 BILLION. ALL ARE SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS TO CATER FOR THE TERRITORY'S EVER-GROWING TRAFFIC NEEDS.
THAT THE DURING TODAY'S VISIT, SIR DAVID WAS PLEASED TO LEARN RAIL SECTION OF THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING, WHICH WOULD BE OPENED TO TRAFFIC IN ABOUT A WEEK'S TIME, WAS COMPLETED FULLY SIX MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.
THE ROAD SECTION OF THE CROSSING WILL OPEN IN LATER AUGUST OR EARLY SEPTEMBER, ALSO MANY MONTHS AHEAD OF THE ORIGINAL COMPLETION DATE OF FEBRUARY 1990.
SIR DAVID, ACCOMPANIED BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, AND THE DIRECTOR OF HIGHWAYS, MR HAROLD BEATON, NOTED THAT THE EASTERN HARBOUR CROSSING WOULD GREATLY EASE HEAVY CONGESTION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HARBOUR.
SIR DAVID THEN FLEW BY HELICOPTER TO THE $360 MILLION JUNK BAY TUNNEL. SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY OCTOBER 1990, THIS TUNNEL WILL PROVIDE THE MAIN ACCESS LINK BETWEEN TSEUNG KWAN O NEW TOWN AND EAST KOWLOON.
THE GOVERNOR NEXT VISITED THE $1.2 BILLION ROUTE 5 PROJECT,
AND WHICH WILL PROVIDE A DIRECT ROAD LINK BETWEEN SHA TIN EARLY NEXT YEAR. THE ROUTE WILL CUT THE JOURNEY TIME BETWEEN NEW TOWNS BY OVER TWO-THIRDS.
TSUEN
WAN
THE
TWO
ON
FLYING OVER EAST KOWLOON, SIR DAVID WAS ALSO BRIEFED PROGRESS WITH ANOTHER MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INTERNATIONAL PROJECT INVOLVING JAPANESE, BRITISH, CHINESE AND LOCAL COMPANIES.
/THE 3.9