XN000022-1975-11-27 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1975

IMPROVED FERRY PIER FACILITIES FOR SHAM SHUI PO AND CHEUNG CHAU

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BETTER FERRY PIER FACILITIES WILL BE PROVIDED AT SHAM SHUI PO AND AT CHEUNG CHAU ISLAND TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING NUMBER OF COMMUTERS AND HOLIDAY CROWDS.

AT SHAM SHUI PO, A NEW PIER CAPABLE OF ACCOMMODATING LARGE TRIPLE-DECK PASSENGER FERRIES WILL BE BUILT TO REPLACE THE EXISTING ONE OFF PEI HO STREET, WHILE THE PRESENT PIER AT CHEUNG CHAU WILL DE RENOVATED AND ENLARGED.

BOTH PROJECTS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED BY THE PORT WORKS DIVISION OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S CIVIL ENGINEERING OFFICE, WHICH WILL ALSO SUPERVISE THE CONSTRUCTION WORK.

WORK ON THE NEW SHAM SHUI PO PIER, LOCATED AT THE SOUTH- WESTERN CORNER OF THE 18.5-ACRE RECLAMATION OFF TUNG CHAU STREET, WILL START IN JANUARY AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN 1977.

RENOVATION WORK ON CHEUNG CHAU PIER IS EXPECTED TO START IN FEBRUARY AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE NEXT TYPHOON SEASON.

MR. HOWARD CHAMBERLAIN, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE PORT WORKS DIVISION, SAID TODAY THE NEW PIER WOULD BE A VAST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE EXISTING ONE AND WOULD PROVIDE BETTER BERTHING AND · PASSENGER FACILITIES.

THE PRESENT PIER, HE SAID, WAS ALREADY HEAVILY OVERLOADED AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COPE ADEQUATELY WITH THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN PASSENGERS. LAST YEAR, HE SAID, MORE THAN 26 MILLION PEOPLE USED THE PIER AND THE NUMBER WAS ESTIMATED TO RISE WITH THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF SHAM SHUI PO.

+ THE NEW PIER WILL BE LARGER THAN THE EXISTING ONE AND WILL BE SUITABLY EQUIPPED TO ACCOMMODATE LARGER PASSENGER FERRIES SERVING THE AREA,+ HE SAID.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN SAID THE NEW PIER WOULD BE A TWO-STOREY STRUCTURE WITH TWO BERTHS EACH FITTED WITH ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LIFTS AND RAMPS TO FACILITATE EMBARKING AND DISEMBARKING PASSENGERS.

+THERE WILL ALSO BE A LARGE CONCOURSE WITH COVERED WALKWAYS, BUS AND PUBLIC LIGHT BUS TERMINI AS WELL AS TAXI RANKS PROVIDING GOOD LAND TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS TO AND FROM THE PIER, + HE ADDED.

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MR. CHAMBERLAIN