XN000022-1973-12-06 — Page 2

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Thursday, December 6, 1973

WORK BEGINS ON DESIGN OF ABERDEEN TUNNEL

Soil Investigation To Be Carried Out Shortly

A pilot tunnel is to be driven shortly along the line of the

proposed Aberdeen Tunnel to investigate the sub-strata properties and

to measure the rock behaviour.

This will help to determine the nature and distribution of

stresses within the rock so that an economic design of temporary support

systems and permanent lining may be produced.

It will also enable prospective contractors for the main work

to examine visually the nature of tunnelling conditions involved before

submitting tenders.

A spokesman for the Public Works Department said today that

the pilot tunnel would be about five feet wide and eight feet high and

would be driven into the hillsides from both ends at Happy Valley within

the Colonial Cemetery and Wong Chuk Hang.

The work, expected to begin in January next year will take six

to nine months to complete.

The spokesman said: "A certain amount of geological investigations,

sufficient to determine the optimum general alignment of the tunnel and

to prove its feasibility, has been carried out." In the meantime,

consulting engineers have begun work on the detailed design of the tunnel.

Construction of the 6,000-foot long twin tube four-lane tunnel

is expected to begin in 1975. It will run from a point within the Colonial

Cemetery in Happy Valley to the Wong Chuk Hang area near Aberdeen,

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