XN000022-1975-03-07 — Page 9

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FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1975

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SECTION OF ELEVATED ROAD NEARING COMPLETION

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CONSTRUCTION OF THE EASTERN SECTION OF THE ELEVATED ROAD ALONG GASCOIGNE ROAD DREW NEARER TO COMPLETION TODAY WITH THE PLACING IN POSITION OF THE LAST TWO GIANT PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BEAMS WHICH WILL SUPPORT THE SURFACE OF THE ROAD.

IN ALL, THERE ARE 190 SUCH PRESTRESSED DEAMS USED TO FORM THE SUPERSTRUCTURE OF THIS SECTION OF THE ROAD. THE LAST TWO BEAMS WERE TOWED THIS MORNING FROM A SITE OFFICE WHERE THEY HAD BEEN PRE-CAST TO A LOCATION NEAR THE DIOCESAN GIRL'S SCHOOL AND LOWERED INTO POSITION BY TWO CRANES,

THE BEAMS ARE EACH 74 FEET LONG, AND WEIGH 28 TONS EACH. THERE ARE NINE SUCH BEAMS SPANNING EVERY PAIR OF PIERS OF THE ELEVATED ROAD. WHEN AN EIGHT-INCH THICK LAYER OF CONCRETE IS LAID OVER THEM, THEY PROVIDE A CARRIAGEWAY OF 40 FEET WIDE.

NOTING THE NEED TO MAINTAIN TRAFFIC USING GASCOIGNE ROAD UNIMPEDED BY THE WORK, THE RESIDENT ENGINEER, MR. TSE JOP-TOA, SAID HE WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE SMOOTH PROGRESS OF THE WORK.

THIS SECTION OF THE ELEVATED ROAD, WHICH IS ABOUT 2,200 FEET LONG, STARTS FROM GASCOIGNE ROAD NEAR WYLIE ROAD, TERMINÁTING AT THE YAU MA TEI MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK. COSTING ABOUT $20 MILLION AND DESIGNED BY P.W.D. HIGHWAYS OFFICE ENGINEERS, THIS SECTION IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JULY OR AUGUST THIS YEAR, WORK ON THE 24-MONTH CONTRACT FOR THIS PHASE BEGAN IN OCTOBER 1973.

THE WESTERN SECTION WHICH HAS YET TO BE BUILT WILL PASS THROUGH THE YAU MA TEI MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK (STAGE (1) AND LINK UP WITH THE TONG MEJ ROAD EXTENSION ADJACENT TO THE YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER. IT IS ABOUT 2,000 FEET LONG. FOUNDATION WORK ON THIS SECTION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN EARLY NEXT MONTH.

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THIS ELEVATED ROAD - GASCOIGNE ROAD TO TONG MEI ROAD

FORMS

PART OF THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR SCHEME WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO DISTRIBUTE TRAFFIC AND PROVIDE A DIRECT LINK FROM THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL TO KWAI CHUNG AND TSUEN WAN.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

COPIES OF A PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ELEVATED ROAD ALONG GASCOIGNE ROAD WILL BE BOXED FOR COLLECTION TODAY.

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