XN000022-1974-09-30 — Page 2

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1974

AGE-OLD JAPANESE RITES TO MARK START OF WORK ON TUEN MUN ROAD

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A 1,000-YEAR-OLD SHINTO CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE ON A HILLSIDE NEAR TSING LUNG TAU ON CASTLE PEAK ROAD ON WEDNESDAY COCTOBER 2) TO MARK THE OFFICIAL START OF CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE 9-1/2-MILE TUEN MUN ROAD PROJECT.

GUEST OF HONOUR AT THE CEREMONY, WHICH HAS BEEN ARRANGED BY THE JAPANESE FIRM CARRYING OUT THE MA IN CONTRACT WORK, WILL BE THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, HR. WILLIAM BELL.

HE WILL JOIN THE HEAD OF THE COMPANY, MR. JINICH! MAKITA, PRESIDENT OF KUMAGAI GUMI, IN A RITUAL WITH CONSECRATED TOOLS TO BRING THE BLESSING OF THE GODS ON THE PROJECT.

MR. BELL WILL BE GIVEN A BLESSED HOE WITH WHICH TO TURN THE EARTH ON A SMALL SYMBOLIC MOUND. MR. MAKITA WILL DO LIKEWISE WITH A SIMILARLY CONSECRATED SPADE. A THIRD LEADING PARTICIPANT WILL BE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CONSULTANTS, SCOTT WILSON KIRKPATRICK AND PARTNERS, WHO WILL USE A SACRED SICKLE TO TRIM A SYMBOLIC SHRUB PLANTED ON THE MOUND.

MR. MAKITA, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF KUMAGAI GUMI CH.K.) LTD. AS WELL AS HEADING THE PARENT FIRM IN JAPAN, IS FLYING FROM TOKYO SPECIALLY FOR THE CEREMONY.

ALSO TAKING PART WILL BE A GROUP OF KIMONO-CLAD JAPANESE GIRLS, WHO WILL GREET GUESTS BY PURIFYING THEIR HANDS WITH A SPRINKLING OF CONSECRATED

WATER.

THE FINAL FEATURE OF THE OCCASION WILL BE THE DETONATION OF AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE ON THE LINE OF THE FIRST CARRIAGEWAY OF THE FUTURE SIX-LANE HIGHWAY TO CLEAR ROCKS AND EARTH FOR THE START OF CONSTRUCTION.

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THE PROJECT, STAGE 1 OF THE TUEN MUN ROAD, IS A KEY PART IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWNS OF TUEN MUN AND TSUEN WAN, WHICH THE ROAD WILL LINK. INTERNATIONAL TENDERS VERE INVITED FOR THE CONTRACT, WHICH AT $222 MILLION IS THE LARGEST SINGLE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT EVER HANDLED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S HIGHWAYS OFFICE.

STAGE OF THE WORK COMPRISES THE FIRST THREE LANES -- OR ONE CARRIAGEWAY OF THE HIGHWAY, INCLUDING 16 MAJOR BRIDGES. ABOUT FOUR MILLION CUBIC METRES OF MATERIAL WILL BE EXCAVATED, AND DREDGERS ARE ALREADY AT WORK IN TAI LAM CHUNG BAY ON PREPARATORY OPERATIONS FOR A CAUSEWAY SECTION OF THE ROAD. THE FIRST STAGE WILL BE COMPLETED IN 1977.

THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED ON JUNE 10. SINCE THEN THE CONTRACTOR'S STAFF AND THE SUPERVISING ENGINEERS OF THE CONSULTANTS AND OF P.W.D. HAVE BEEN HARD AT WORK ORGANISING RESOURCES AND MATERIALS AND PREPARING THE INITIAL WORK SITES.

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