XN000022-1974-11-27 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1974

LIFTING OF POKFULAM BUILDING +FREEZE+ WELCOMED BY UNOFFICIAL LEGCO MEMBERS

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UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WELCOMED THE LIFTING OF THE TEMPORARY RESTRICTION ON BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IN POK FU LAM.

SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF HIS UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES AT THE RESUMED DEBATE OF THE TEMPORARY RESTRICTION OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENT (POK FU LAM AND MID-LEVELS) (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1974, THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG SAID THEY WERE GLAD ALSO TO SEE THAT MEASURES TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC WERE IN HAND.

REFERRING TO THE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME, HE SAID THE WIDENING OF TWO FURTHER SECTIONS OF POK FU LAM ROAD SHOULD BEGIN IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR, ONE OF WHICH SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN 1976 AND THE OTHER IN 1977.

+THEY HAVE BEEN ACCORDED A GRADING AND PRIORITY OF A1 IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME AT A COST ESTIMATED AT NEARLY $15 MILLION, THESE TWO SECTIONS COVER THE ROAD FROM POKFIELD ROAD BUS TERMINUS TO POK FU LAM VILLAGE,+ MR. CHEUNG SAID. +THIS LEAVES ONLY THE SECTION BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY AND POKFIELD ROAD TO BE WIDENED.+

+THE PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE WILL SHORTLY RECOMMEND TO FINANCE COMMITTEE THE CREATION CF TWO NEW ITEMS IN CATEGORY A OF THE PROGRAMME ONE IS THE SITE INVESTIGATION, DESIGN AND LAND ACQUISITIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE POKFULAM ROAD/CONNAUGHT ROAD LINK THROUGH WATER STREET, AT A COST OF $27.5 MILLION. THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION OF IT IS A CATEGORY B ITEM.+

THE SECOND ITEM HE SAID, WAS TO ENGAGE CONSULTANTS TO UNDERTAKE THE SITE INVESTIGATION AND DESIGN OF THE ELEVATED ROAD, FROM HARCOURT ROAD TO WATER STREET. THE CONSULTANTS'

WORK SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN TWO YEARS.

LASTLY, WORK ON THE PILOT TUNNEL FOR THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED NEXT MONTH, AND THE TUNNEL ITSELF COMPLETED WITHIN FIVE YEARS.

MR. CHEUNG ADDED : +THE PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE MID-LEVELS HAVE STILL TO BE SOLVED, BUT I HOPE THAT THESE MEASURES IN RELATION TO POK FU LAM WILL LARGELY RESTORE GENERAL CONFIDENCE.+

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