THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 1990
t
5
THE COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING A REASONABLE LEVEL OF MOBILITY OF PEOPLE AND GOODS WAS NECESSARY TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TO MEET THE SOCIAL, COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, SHE SAID.
MISS TAM NOTED THAT THE FLYOVER EXTENSION FORMED GASCOIGNE ROAD AND CHATHAM ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, HIGHWAYS PROJECTS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION THIS YEAR.
THE 430-METRE FLYOVER EXTENSION CONNECTS JORDAN ROAD AND STRETCHES TO CHATHAM ROAD NORTH.
PART OF THE ONE OF
MANY
THE OLD FLYOVER AT
ALSO SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, THE DIRECTOR OF HIGHWAYS, MR KWEI SEE-KAN, SAID THE NEW EXTENSION WOULD INITIALLY CARRY ONE LANE OF TRAFFIC IN EACH DIRECTION ABOVE THE JUNCTION OF GASCOIGNE ROAD AND WYLIE ROAD, ENABLING THROUGH TRAFFIC TO AVOID THE BUSY JUNCTION.
ON COMPLETION OF THE WHOLE PROJECT, TWO ADDITIONAL LANES WOULD BE PROVIDED ON THE FLYOVER TO CONNECT WITH NEW UP AND DOWN RAMPS ON GASCOIGNE ROAD SO THAT GASCOIGNE ROAD TRAFFIC WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO PASS OVER THE JUNCTION, FURTHER EASING CONGESTION IN THE AREA.
THE PROJECT, WHICH WAS STARTED IN SEPTEMBER 1987, WOULD BK COMPLETED IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR AT A COST OF ABOUT $110 MILLION.
MR KWEI POINTED OUT THAT IN EXTENDING THE ORIGINAL PORTION OF IT HAD TO BE DEMOLISHED.
FLYOVER, A
IN ORDER то MAINTAIN THE EXISTING TRAFFIC LANES BOTH AT ELEVATED AND GROUND LEVELS THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD, THE DEPARTMENT WIDENED THE EASTBOUND CARRIAGEWAY OF GASCOIGNE ROAD BY COVERING AN OPEN NULLAH TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY BRIDGE.
DEMOLITION OF THE OLD FLYOVER COULD ONLY COMMENCE AFTER THE TEMPORARY BRIDGE WAS IN USE.
HE SAID THAT THE STRINGENT TRAFFIC REQUIREMENT AND THE LIMITED WORKING SPACES INCREASED THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK AND PROLONGED THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD, BUT POTENTIAL TRAFFIC CONGESTION WAS MINIMISED.
NIGHT WORK WAS OFTEN REQUIRED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PERIOD TO ENABLE REMOVAL OF THE BEAMS FROM THE OLD FLYOVER AND DELIVERY AND PLACING OF PRECAST BEAMS FOR THE NEW FLYOVER.
WHILE NIGHT WORK WAS BEING EXECUTED, EVERY EFFORT WAS MADE TO MINIMISE DISTURBANCE TO THE NEARBY RESIDENTS, HE ADDED.
IN THIS RESPECT, MISS TAM CALLED ON MOTORISTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO BE TOLERANT AND UNDERSTANDING AS LARGE SCALE HIGHWAYS WORKS WOULD INEVITABLY CAUSE CERTAIN DISRUPTION AND INCONVENIENCE.
SHE SAID THE CONSIDERABLE BENEFITS DERIVED FROM THE COMPLETED PROJECTS WOULD MAKE THE EFFORTS WORTHWHILE.
/MR KWEI