XN000022-1976-03-20 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 1976

NOW THE IDEA IS TO RAISE THIS RATE TO 20 KPH (OVER 12 MPH) AND A THREE-YEAR COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT SURVEY CARRIED OUT BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE AMERICAN CONSULTANCY FIRM WILBUR SMITH AND ASSOCIATES IS PRESENTLY BEING STUDIED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

THE SURVEY CONTAINS DIVERSE RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH WILL BE MADE PUBLIC IN A WHITE PAPER ON TRANSPORT SCHEDULED TO BE PUBLISHED LATER THIS YEAR.

EVEN BEFORE THE SURVEY WAS STARTED, HOWEVER, EARLIER STUDIES AND PLAIN COMMONSENSE HAD INDICATED THE IMPERATIVE NEED FOR TRAFFIC SEPARATION LANES, ROUTE AND QUANTITY CONTROL OF EXISTING FORMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT (ON WHICH 90 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S FIVE MILLION DAILY JOURNEYS ARE MADE), USE OF MORE ROAD TUNNELS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS, AND THE BUILDING OF A METRO.

THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CAME UP WITH TWO BASIC INTERIM MOVES :

* THE BUILDING OF A MOTORWAY TYPE ROUTE NETWORK WITHIN

HONG KONG, NO MEAN FEAT CONSIDERING THE MAZE OF WINDING ROADS AND SKYSCRAPER BUILDINGS THROUGH WHICH SUCH CONCRETE SWATHES HAD TO BE CUT, AND

* GRADE SEPARATION (FLYOVERS) AT AS MANY MAJOR INTERSECTIONS

AS POSSIBLE.

OPERATION FLYOVER WAS GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT AND THE P.W.D. IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE FLYOVER SYSTEMS.

BASICALLY, GRADE SEPARATION AT MOST INTERSECTIONS IS A TWO- LEVEL AFFAIR THE SIMPLE EXPEDIENT OF DIRECTING TRAFFIC IN ONE DIRECTION ALONG ITS NORMAL PATH, WHILE VEHICLES CROSSING ARE ELEVATED VIA A FLYOVER.

HOWEVER, IN SOME CASES A THIRD TUNNEL-LEVEL HAS BEEN ADDED, COMBINED WITH THE USUAL OCTOPUS-LOOK ING APPROACH-ROAD AND LEAD- OFF TENTACLES.

NEARLY ALL OF THE FLYOVERS NOW BEING BUILT BY THE P.W.D. ARE OF PRESTRESSED CONSTRUCTION, A TECHNIQUE WHICH ENABLES LONGER SPANS TO BE UTILISED AND THUS REDUCES THE NUMBER OF SUPPORTING COLUMNS REQUIRED.

OVERALL, GRADE SEPARATION BY TUNNEL, FLYOVER, FOOTBRIDGE AND SUBWAY HAS BECOME A MULTI-MILLION-DOLLAR ENDEAVOUR IN HONG KONG, AND HAS BECOME A CORNERSTONE OF A TRAFFIC POLICY WHICH IS GRADUALLY BEATING THE CONGESTION THAT AFFLICTS MANY OTHER CITIES.

COMMENTED MR. SAPSTEAD: +THE SHEER COMPLICATION OF ERECTING FLYOVERS IN THE MIDDLE OF ALREADY CONGESTED TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR NUISANCE TO BUILDER AND MOTORISTS ALIKE. BUT NOW AT LEAST SOME OF THE REWARDS OF PATIENCE AND DETERMINATION ARE BEGINNING TO BE REAPED.+

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