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WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1993
PORT DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORT PLANNING
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THE GOVERNMENT
DEVELOPMENT AND LAND
CO-ORDINATE FUTURE PORT
TAKES GREAT CARE TO TRANSPORT PLANNING THROUGH THE STRATEGIC
PLANNING, LAND-USE AND TRANSPORT PLANNING PROCESS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR MICHAEL LEUNG, IN A MOTION DEBATE ON WATERBORNE AND LAND TRANSPORT SYSTEMS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE SAID ABOUT 88 HECTARES OF NEW BACK-UP AREAS WILL BE PROVIDED
UPON COMPLETION OF CONTAINER TERMINALS NOS. 8 AND 9.
FOR THE LANTAU PORT, MR LEUNG SAID, SUCH PROBLEMS WOULD NO LONGER EXIST FROM THE OUTSET WITH 10 HECTARES OF BACK UP LAND TO BE PROVIDED FOR EACH CONTAINER BERTH.
TO COPE WITH THE PHENOMENAL GROWTH IN THE VOLUME OF FREIGHT MOVING ACROSS THE BORDER BY ROAD, THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO DOUBLE THE CAPACITY OF THE MAN KAM TO VEHICLE HOLDING AREA TO 220 VEHICLES AND WILL CONSIDER WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES FURTHER EXTENSIONS ΤΟ OPENING HOURS AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF VEHICLE CHANNELS IN OPERATION AT LOK MA CHAU.
IN THE LONG TERM, THE ROUTE 3 COUNTRY PARK SECTION WILL PROVIDE A THIRD MAJOR ROAD CORRIDOR FOR BORDER TRAFFIC.
MR LEUNG SAID THERE HAD BEEN VERY ENCOURAGING RESPONSE TO THE INVITATION FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR ΤΟ BUILD THIS ROAD UNDER A FRANCHISE ARRANGEMENT.
THE GOVERNMENT IS STUDYING THE PROPOSALS BEFORE MAKING DECISIONS ON THE TENDERING ARRANGEMENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL ROAD BUILDING PROGRAMME UNDERWAY IN NORTHWEST NEW TERRITORIES. THE TUEN MUN YUEN LONG EASTERN CORRIDOR WILL OPEN IN JULY, FOLLOWED BY THE YUEN LONG SOUTHERN BYPASS BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR.
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"WE ARE ALSO SPENDING AS MEMBERS KNOW $1 BILLION ON FOUR CLIMBING LANES ON TUEN MUN HIGHWAY, HE SAID.
"
IN THE EAST, THE GOVERNMENT IS TO COMMISSION LATER THIS YEAR A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR ROUTE 16 WHICH WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL ROAD LINK BETWEEN CONTAINER PORT AND SHA TIN,
ON RAIL FACILITIES, MR LEUNG SAID TO HELP INCREASE THE KOWLOON- CANTON RAILWAY CORPORATION FREIGHT HANDLING CAPABILITY, FIVE HECTARES OF LAND ON THE HUNG HOM BAY RECLAMATION WILL BE GRANTED ΤΟ THE CORPORATION FOR EXPANSION OF ITS MAIN FREIGHT TERMINAL. THIS WILL INCREASE THE TERMINAL CAPACITY BY 140 WAGONS A DAY.
IN THE LONG TERM, THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STUDY HAS RECOMMENDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PORT RAIL LINE FOR COMPLETION BY 2001.
THE
LINK TO
A
RECOMMENDED LINE, WHICH COULD ALSO INCORPORATE A THE LANTAU PORT AT A LATER DATE, COULD CARRY UP TO 4,000 CONTAINERS DAY.
/MOREOVER, THE