XN000022-1977-05-10 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1977

+WITH THE BURGEONING GROWTH OF INDUSTRIAL AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AT ABERDEEN, THE NEED FOR A HIGH CAPACITY ROAD LINK CONNECTING ABERDEEN TO THE NORTH SIDE OF HONG KONG HAS LONG BEEN A MATTER OF HIGH PRIORITY,+ MR. SAPSTEAD SAID.

+THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL WILL, UPON COMPLETION, NOT ONLY REDUCE THE TRAVELLING TIME BUT ALSO HELP RELIEVE THE LONGSTANDING TRAFFIC CONGESTION ON THE NARROW AND WINDING POKFULAM ROAD IN THE WEST AND STUBBS ROAD AND REPULSE BAY ROAD IN THE EAST.+

THE TWIN-TUBE SYSTEM WILL DRIVE 1,900 METRES THROUGH MOUNT NICHOLSON FROM A POINT WITHIN THE COLONIAL CEMETERY IN HAPPY VALLEY. ACCESS FROM THE NORTH WILL BE VIA THE DUAL-LANE CANAL ROAD FLYOVER EXTENSION AND WILL PASS ALONG THE LINE OF MORRISON HILL ROAD AND WONG NAI CHUNG ROAD TO THE TUNNEL'S NORTHERN PORTAL.

IN THE SOUTH, A GRADE-SEPARATED INTERCHANGE WILL BE BUILT AT WONG CHUK HANG TO LINK THE TUNNEL WITH WONG CHUK HANG ROAD AND FEED TRAFFIC DIRECTLY TO ABERDEEN AND REPULSE BAY.

P.W.D. ENGINEERS ESTIMATE THAT IT WOULD TAKE ONLY THREE MINUTES THROUGH THE TUNNEL TO TRAVEL FROM ONE SIDE OF HONG KONG ISLAND TO THE OTHER.

WHEN THE CONSORTIUM START THE ACTUAL TUNNELLING, THEY WILL BE GUIDED BY THE PILOT TUNNEL ALREADY DRIVEN ALONG THE ALIGNMENT OF THE MAIN TUNNEL ALMOST FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS ENGINEERS OF MAUNSELL CONSULTANTS ASIA, IN CLOSE ASSOCIATION WITH THE P.W.D. HAVE BEEN DRILLING AND BLASTING

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A $5.6 MILLION PILOT TUNNEL THROUGH MOUNT NICHOLSON TO DETERMINE WHETHER ROCK AND SOIL CONDITIONS DEEP WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN WOULD BE SUITABLE TO BUILD A TUNNEL HIGHWAY.

MR. SAPSTEAD SAID THAT MOST OF THE WALLS OF THE TWIN TUBES THE SAME THICKNESS WOULD BE LINED WITH CONCRETE 600 MM THICK OF THE LINING IN LION ROCK TUNNEL. IN SOME PARTS THE LINING WOULD BE INCREASED TO 800MM, AND STEEL ARCH RIBS INSTALLED AS AN ADDED SUPPORT.

EXCAVATION WOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY DRILLING WITH PNEUMATIC JACKHAMMERS AND BLASTING, WITH THE WORKS PROGRAMME CALLING FOR TWO + BLAST+ PER DAY.

MR. SAPSTEAD SAID THE CONSORTIUM WOULD BE TAKING SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS WITH ITS EXPLOSIVES USING A LARGE NUMBER OF DELAY DETONATORS TO REDUCE THE QUANTITY OF EXPLOSIVES SET OFF IN EACH BLAST.

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