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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1990
MEASURES TO REDUCE BYPASS TRAFFIC NOISE
THE GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN A NUMBER OF MEASURES TO MINIMISE THE TRAFFIC NOISE FROM THE TSUEN WAN BYPASS THAT IS AFFECTING RESIDENTS OF CLAGUE GARDEN ESTATE, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS TOLD TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE MEASURES WERE OUTLINED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON LAM WAI-KEUNG.
MR BARNES SAID THE TRAFFIC FLOW ON THE BYPASS, A BUSY ROAD LINKING KWAI CHUNG ROAD WITH TUEN MUN HIGHWAY, AVERAGED 2,400 VEHICLES PER HOUR BETWEEN 8.30 PM AND 11 PM.
DURING PEAK TRAFFIC HOURS, THE TRAFFIC FLOW MIGHT RISE TO 6,200 VEHICLES PER HOUR, AND THE MEASURED PEAK HOUR TRAFFIC FLOW NOISE LEVEL EXCEEDED THE ACCEPTABLE STANDARD AT TIMES.
"THE ROAD IS WIDE, STRAIGHT AND WELL MAINTAINED, AND ALTHOUGH THERE IS A SPEED LIMIT OF 70 KILOMETRE PER HOUR DRIVERS SOMETIMES SPEED AT NIGHT AND MAKE MUCH MORE NOISE THAN TRAFFIC WITHIN SPEED LIMITS, HE SAID.
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MR BARNES SAID THE POLICE WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND CARRIED OUT FREQUENT RADAR OPERATIONS AS A DETERRENT.
"THE FORCE WILL CONTINUE TO MOUNT SIMILAR OPERATIONS IN THE FUTURE, WHICH SHOULD HELP TO REDUCE THE OCCURRENCE OF NOISK NUISANCE FROM HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC IN THE NIGHT,
th HE SAID.
ON THE DESIGN OF THE ROAD, MR BARNES SAID THE HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT HAD ALREADY PAVED THE SECTION OF THE BYPASS NEAR THE CLAGUE GARDEN ESTATE WITH A NOISE REDUCING BITUMINOUS MATERIAL WHICH HELPED REDUCE ORDINARY TRAFFIC NOISE, BUT NOT THAT OF CARS SPEEDING AT NIGHT.
**FURTHER ENGINEERING REMEDIES ON THE ROAD WOULD BE DIFFICULT, BECAUSE THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN ERECTING NOISE ATTENUATION INSTALLATIONS SUCH AS ENCLOSURES OR SCREENS ON HIGHWAY STRUCTURES WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN DESIGNED TO FACILITATE SUCH INSTALLATIONS," HE SAID.
MR BARNES ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE BYPASS WAS OPENED BEFORE CLAGUE GARDEN ESTATE WAS BUILT.
"WHEN THE LAND WAS GRANTED TO THE HONG KONG HOUSING SOCIETY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ESTATE, THE PLANNING BRIEF STATED THAT APPROPRIATE MEASURES RELATING ΤΟ BUILDING DESIGN, ORIENTATION AND SITING SHOULD BE TAKEN TO MINIMISE THE EFFECTS OF THE BYPASS.
IN
"THE HONG KONG HOUSING SOCIETY TOOK THIS INTO CONSIDERATION SITING THE HOUSING BLOCKS AND HAS BEEN MONITORING THE NOISE PROBLEM BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE HOUSING ESTATE.
"IT IS WILLING TO LOOK AT FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS AND NOW BEING DISCUSSED WITH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS,
Ir HE SAID.
THESE ARE
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