XN000022-1977-03-16 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1977

WORK ON ABERDEEN TUNNEL TO BEGIN NEXT MONTH

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THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, SAID TODAY WORK ON THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR ABERDEEN TUNNEL WOULD BEGIN NEXT MONTH FOR COMPLETION IN 1980.

HE SAID THE TUNNEL WOULD PROVIDE A DIRECT ROAD LINK BETWEEN ABERDEEN AND HAPPY VALLEY AND CONSIDERABLY EASE THE PRESSURE ON EXISTING ROUTES BETWEEN THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF HONG KONG ISLAND, INCLUDING THE ROUNDABOUT AT THE JUNCTION OF TAI HANG ROAD, WONGNE ICHONG GAP ROAD AND STUBBS ROAD.

IN THE MEANTIME, HE SAID, IMPROVEMENT WORKS WERE ALREADY IN HAND AT THIS KEY JUNCTION AND THESE SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT FIVE MONTHS' TIME.

+THESE WORKS INCLUDE FURTHER ALTERATIONS TO THE TRAFFIC ISLANDS AND THE WIDENING OF THE TAI HANG ROAD AND UPPER STUBBS ROAD APPROACHES TO THE ROUNDABOUT,+ HE SAID,

TRAFFIC LIGHT CONTROLS, HE ADDED, MAY ALSO BE INCLUDED TO REGULATE TRAFFIC FLOW AT THE JUNCTION.

MR. MCDONALD WAS SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON, LEE QUO-WEI WHO HAD ASKED WHETHER INTER IM MEASURES WOULD BE TAKEN TO REDUCE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AT THE JUNCTION BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF ABERDEEN TUNNEL.

MR. MCDONALD SAID, HOWEVER, THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS NOW UNDERWAY WERE NOT MEANT TO BE A PERMANENT SOLUTION. NOR WOULD THE PROVISION OF A FLYOVER SOLVE THE PROBLEM AS THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF WONGNE ICHONG GAP ROAD AND LOWER STUBBS ROAD WERE ALREADY CARRYING CLOSE TO THE IR MAXIMUM CAPACITY AT MORNING PEAK PERIODS.

+ IN FACT, CONSTRUCTION WORKS FOR A FLYOVER IN ROADWAYS OF SUCH LIMITED WIDTHS WOULD CREATE SERIOUS OBSTRUCTIONS RESULTING IN FAR GREATER CONGESTION AND COULD NOT THEREFORE BE CONSIDERED UNTIL AN ALTERNATIVE ROUTE HAS BEEN PROVIDED,+ HE SAID.

+ANOTHER ROUTE AND THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL WHICH WILL BECOME THE MAJOR ROAD LINK BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH SHORES OF HONG KONG ISLAND, THUS RELIEVING THE WONGNE ICHONG GAP ROUTES,+ HE SAID.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. P.G. WILLIAMS ABOUT RESTRICTIONS ON MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY SIGNS AT CONSTRUCTION SITES, MR. MCDONALD SAID THE M.T.R. CORPORATION MUST OBTAIN WRITTEN CONSENT FOR ERECTING ANY SIGN OR ADVERTISEMENT OTHER THAN THOSE

ILLUSTRATING OR DESCRIBING THE WORKS IN PROGRESS OR BEARING THE NAMES, ADDRESSES AND NATURE CF BUSINESS OF CONSTRACTORS AND SUB-CONTRACTORS.

ALL REQUESTS MADE SO FAR BY THE CORPORATION FOR THE ERECTION OR DISPLAY OF SIGNS INTENDED FOR THE CONVENIENCE OR INFORMATION OF THE PUBLIC HAD BEEN APPROVED, SAID MR. MCDONALD,

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