XN000022-1976-04-30 — Page 8

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1976

CANAL ROAD FLYOVER EXTENSION

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION WORK IN JULY TO EXTEND THE CANAL ROAD FLYOVER WHICH WILL FORM PART OF A MAJOR ROUTE LINKING KOWLOON AND ABERDEEN.

TENDERS FOR THE EXTENSION WORKS ARE NOW BEING INVITED AND IT IS EXPECTED THAT CONTRACTS WILL BE SIGNED IN JUNĖ.

MR. C.K. CHOW, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE P.W.D.'S HIGHWAYS CONSULTANTS MANAGEMENT DIVISION, SAID TODAY THE WORKS WOULD TAKE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS TO COMPLETE AND HAD BEEN TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH WORK ON THE PROPOSED ABERDEEN TUNNEL.

THE CANAL ROAD FLYOVER EXTENSION, HE SAID, WOULD PROVIDE A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL AND THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL WHICH WILL RUN FROM HAPPY VALLEY TO WONG CHUK HANG.

PREQUALIFYING TENDERS FOR THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL ARE CURRENTLY BEING PROCESSED AND IT IS ENVISAGED THAT TENDERS FOR THE ACTUAL TUNNEL WORKS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CALLED IN JULY. PRESENT ESTIMATES ARE THAT THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY LATE 1979 OR EARLY 1980.

TOGETHER WITH THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL, THE CANAL ROAD FLYOVER EXTENSION AND THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL WILL FORM MAJOR HIGH CAPACITY ROUTE BETWEEN HUNG HOM AND WONG CHUK HANG AND REDUCE TRAVELLING TIME BETWEEN THESE TWO DISTRICTS TO ABOUT 15 MINUTES.

MR. CHOW SAID THE CANAL ROAD FLYOVER EXTENSION FROM GLOUCESTER ROAD TO WONG NAI CHUNG ROAD WOULD BASICALLY CONSIST OF AN ELEVATED ROAD PROVIDING FOUR LANES FOR TRAFFIC.

+ACCESS RAMPS WILL BE PROVIDED TO ENABLE TRAFFIC FROM MORRISON HILL ROAD AND WONG NAI CHUNG ROAD TO USE THE EXTENDED FLYOVER.

+THIS TOGETHER WITH GENERAL GROUND LEVEL IMPROVEMENTS AND ROAD WIDENING WILL HELP TO EASE CONGESTION AT THE KEY JUNCTIONS OF CANAL ROAD/LEIGHTON ROAD, MORRISON HILL ROAD/ LEIGHTON ROAD, AND ALSO THE JUNCTION OF WONG NAI CHUNG ROAD/ MORRISON HILL ROAD/QUEEN'S ROAD EAST,+ HE SAID.

TO ENABLE PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS THE ROADS IN SAFETY, HE SAID, A NETWORK OF SUBWAYS WOULD BE PROVIDED UNDER MORRISON HILL ROAD, WONG NAI CHUNG ROAD AND QUEEN'S ROAD EAST.

+AN ADDED FEATURE WILL BE A SPECIAL EXTENSION OF THE SUBWAY SYSTEM TO COPE WITH RACE DAY CROWDS AT HAPPY VALLEY, HE ADDED.

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