XN000022-1977-02-16 — Page 26

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1977

FOOTBRIDGE FOR CHAI WAN ROAD

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS TO BUILD A FOOTBRIDGE ACROSS CHAI WAN ROAD NEAR THE SALESIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL TO PROVIDE A SAFE CROSSING POINT FOR PEDESTRIANS.

THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THE FOOTBRIDGE WAS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.

HE WAS REPLYING TO QUESTIONS FROM DR. THE HON, HENRY HU WHO ASKED ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S PLANS TO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC BLACKSPOT OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL.

MR. MCDONALD SAID CRASH BARRIERS HAD ALREADY BEEN ERECTED ALONG THE PAVEMENTS BORDERING THE DOWNHILL LANE OF CHAI WAN ROAD.

+FOUR PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO FACILITATE MOVEMENT ACROSS CHAI WAN ROAD AND TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNALS INSTALLED AT THE A KUNG NGAM ROAD JUNCTION, HE SAID.

IN ADDITION TO THE NEW FOOTBRIDGE, THE P.W.D. WAS ALSO PLANNING TO INCREASE THE SKID RESISTANCE OF THE ROAD SURFACE BY USING SPECIALLY DEVELOPED SURFACING MATERIALS, SAID MR. MCDONALD.

FURTHER SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS SECTION OF ROADWAY, PARTICULARLY AT THE JUNCTION OF SHAUKE IWAN ROAD, WERE NOT POSSIBLE, HE SAID, DUE TO THE LONG AND STEEP GRADIENT OF CHAI WAN ROAD AND OTHER PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS IN THE AREA.

+ IN THE LONG TERM, HOWEVER, TRAFFIC VOLUME ON THIS ROAD WILL REDUCED WHEN THE ISLAND EAST CORRIDOR HIGHWAY IS EXTENDED THROUGH TO CHAI WAN.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. LI FOOK-WO ABOUT THE ROAD COLLAPSE WHICH OCCURRED ON JANUARY 9 IN TAI HANG ROAD, MR. MCDONALD SAID THE ROAD SURFACE HAD BEEN UNDERMINED AS A RESULT OF A SUB-SOIL WASHOUT CAUSED BY LEAKAGE FROM A 300 MM DIAMETER SEWER UNDER THE ROADWAY.

+REPAIR WORKS WERE PUT IN HAND IMMEDIATELY AND THE ROAD WAS REOPENED TO TRAFFIC THE FOLLOWING MORNING, HE SAID.

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