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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1994
30% INCREASE IN TRANSPORT EXPENDITURE
SAID
THE
IN
THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR HAIDER BARMA, GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND ABOUT $9 BILLION ON ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE 1994/95, REPRESENTING A 30 PER CENT INCREASE OVER 1993/94.
ON
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SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (MONDAY) TO ELABORATE TRANSPORT EXPENDITURE PUBLISHED IN THE 1994/95 DRAFT ESTIMATE EXPENDITURE, MR BARMA SAID THE INCREASE REFLECTED GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO INVESTING IN OUR ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE.
MR
BARMA SAID MAJOR TRANSPORT PROJECTS COVERED IN THE 1994/95 ESTIMATE INCLUDED THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING, THE NORTH LANTAU EXPRESSWAY, ROUTE 3 AND WEST KOWLOON EXPRESSWAY.
THESE PROJECTS ARE ESSENTIAL NOT ONLY TO THE NEW AIRPORT BUT ALSO TO NEW DEVELOPMENTS ALONG ITS ALIGNMENT FROM THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION TO THE NEW TOWN OF TUNG CHUNG.
MR BARMA EMPHASISED THAT THE WEST KOWLOON EXPRESSWAY AND THE ROUTE 3- TSING YI SECTION, AS WELL AS THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING, WERE ALREADY THE TOP TRANSPORT PRIORITIES GIVEN THE CRUCIAL NEED ΤΟ PLAN FOR A NEW NORTH TO SOUTH TRANSPORT ARTERY.
HE ALSO NOTED THAT THERE WOULD ALSO BE A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE ON ROAD PROJECTS OF NON-AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME (ACP),
MAJOR NON-ACP ROAD PROJECTS DUE TO BEGIN IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR INCLUDE THE WIDENING OF LUNG CHEUNG ROAD AND CHING CHEUNG ROAD FROM A DUAL TWO-LANE CARRIAGEWAY TO DUAL THREE LANE. ON COMPLETION OF THIS $1 BILLION PROJECT IN 1997, EAST-WEST BOUND TRAFFIC BETWEEN KWUN TONG AND KWAI CHUNG WILL BE GREATLY IMPROVED.
"THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE $3.7 BILLION TING KAU BRIDGE WILL BEGIN LATER THIS YEAR, ALSO FOR COMPLETION BY 1997. THE BRIDGE WHICH WILL LINK UP ROUTE-3 WILL PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO RELIEVE THE TRAFFIC ON THE TUEN MUN HIGHWAY WHICH IS NOW BEING IMPROVED BY CONSTRUCTING FOUR SECTIONS OF HILL-CLIMBING LANES.
THE 94/95 DRAFT ESTIMATE OF EXPENDITURE ALSO COVERS SPENDING ON WIDENING OF THE SIU LAM SO KWUN TAN SECTION OF THE CASTLE PEAK ROAD, THE YUEN LONG SOUTHERN BYPASS AND THE SECOND AP LEI CHAU BRIDGE.
MR BARMA SAID ALL TRANSPORT PROJECTS NOW BEING UNDERTAKEN PROGRESSING WELL ON SCHEDULE AND WITHIN BUDGET.
ARE
"WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED то DEVELOPING OUR ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE IN PARALLEL WITH OTHER TRANSPORT STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT OUR TRAFFIC KEEPS MOVING WITHOUT UNDERMINING OUR ECONOMIC GROWTH," HE SAID.
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