XN000022-1977-06-14 — Page 6

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TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 1977

ANOTHER CONTRACT FOR TUEN MUN RECLAMATION SIGNED

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS TO BEGIN WORK ON FURTHER LARGE SCALE RECLAMATION AND LAND FORMATION IN TUEN MUN NEW TOWN TO PROVIDE 77 HECTARES OF RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL LAND FOR SOME 110,000 PEOPLE - NEARLY ONE-QUARTER OF THE NEW TOWN'S EVENTUAL POPULATION.

THE PROJECT, ESTIMATED TO COST $77 MILLION, IS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF MAJOR WORKS TO BE UNDERTAKEN UNDER THE SECOND HALF OF THE MASSIVE $3,500 MILLION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME PLANNED TO TRANSFORM TUEN MUN INTO A MODERN METROPOLIS FOR HALF A MILLION PEOPLE,

THE CONTRACT FOR THE RECLAMATION AND LAND FORMATION WORKS, THE BIGGEST ENGINEERING CONTRACT SO FAR IN THE NEW TOWN, HAS BEEN AWARDED TO GAMMON (HONG KONG) LTD. AND WAS OFFICIALLY SIGNED IN THE P.W.D. HEADQUARTERS TODAY.

MR. NICKY CHAN, THE P.W.D.'S PROJECT MANAGER OF TUEN MUN NEW TOWN, SAID TODAY WORK ON THE HUGE PROJECT WILL START LATER THIS MONTH AND TAKE APPROXIMATELY 27 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

+ IT WILL INVOLVE RECLAIMING 42.6 HECTARES OF LAND FROM THE SEA EAST OF PAK KOK AND IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN PART OF CASTLE PEAK, AS WELL AS FORMATION OF 34.7 HECTARES IN VARIOUS HILL AREAS IN THE NEW TOWN, TOGETHER WITH ROADS AND DRAINAGE, HE SAID.

OF THE LAND TO BE RECLAIMED P.W.D. PLANNERS HAVE SET ASIDE NEARLY 20 HECTARES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS CATERING FOR 50,000 PEOPLE AND ANOTHER 20 HECTARES OR SO FOR INDUSTRY. THE REST OF THE RECLAIMED LAND WILL BE RESERVED FOR OPEN SPACES, RECREATIONAL AND OTHER USES.

GIVING AN IDEA OF THE SCALE OF THE PROJECT, MR. CHAN SAID SOME FIVE MILLION CUBIC METRES OF FILL MATERIAL WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR THE RECLAMATION.

NEARLY ONE MILLION CUBIC METRES OF THIS VOLUME, HE SAID, WOULD BE MARINE SAND WHICH WOULD BE DREDGED FROM TUNG CHUNG BAY NORTH OF LANTAU, AND ANOTHER ONE MILLION CUBIC METRES OF LAND FILL WOULD COME FROM BORROW AREAS AT SO KWUN WAT.

OTHER FILL MATERIAL WOULD BE EXCAVATED FROM VARIOUS DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN THE NEW TOWN WHERE TERRACED SITES WOULD BE FORMED FOR HOUSING AND INDUSTRY.

MR. CHAN SAID ONE OF THE TERRACED SITES WOULD PROVIDE A FURTHER 22.6 HECTARES OF LAND FOR A PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT FOR 50,000 PEOPLE AND ANOTHER WOULD PROVIDE 3.8 HECTARES FOR PRIVATE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, WHILE SOME 8.3 HECTARES OF INDUSTRIAL SITES WOULD BE FORMED IN TWO OTHER AREAS.

/+IN ORDER