XN000022-1977-10-29 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1977

POST OFFICE TO HOST INTERNATIONAL SPEEDPOST CONFERENCE

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THE POST OFFICE HAS SENT INVITATIONS TO 16 OVERSEAS POSTAL ADMINISTRATIONS TO ATTEND THE FOURTH INTERNATIONAL SPEEDPOST CONFERENCE WHICH WILL BE HELD IN HONG KONG NEXT MARCH.

THE CONFERENCE WILL CONSIDER WAYS AND MEANS OF EXTENDING THE RANGE OF SPEEDPOST FACILITIES AND OF EXTENDING THE SERVICE TO EVEN MORE DESTINATIONS.

CURRENTLY, THE POST OFFICE OFFERS SPEEDPOST SERVICE TO EIGHT COUNTRIES. THEY ARE AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM, BRAZIL, FRANCE, JAPAN, THE NETHERLANDS, UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UNITED STATES.

NORTH POINT VEHICULAR FERRY PIER TO BE REPLACED ******

A NEW VEHICULAR FERRY PIER IS TO BE BUILT AT NORTH POINT TO REPLACE THE EXISTING ONE WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF STAGE ONE OF THE HONG KONG

ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR.

TENDERS FOR THE PROJECTS ARE BEING INVITED BY THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

MR. T.S. NG, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE CONSULTANTS MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE, SAID TODAY THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THE PRELIMINARY CONTRACTS TO BE LET FOR STAGE ONE OF THE $250 MILLION PROJECT.

HE SAID THAT WORK ON THE NEW VEHICULAR FERRY PIER WOULD START TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR AND WOULD TAKE ABOUT 18 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

+ THE NEW PIER IS SITUATED ABOUT 30 METRES TO THE EAST OF THE EXISTING VEHICULAR FERRY PIER,+ SAID MR. NG.

+ IT WILL CONSIST ESSENTIALLY OF AN 80-METRE-LONG FINGER PIER AND A 22-METRE-WIDE APPROACH PLATFORM.+

+ THE APPROACH PLATFORM WILL SERVE A SINGLE BERTH INITIALLY, BUT WILL BE ADEQUATE TO SERVE AN ADDITIONAL BERTH, SHOULD THIS BE CONSTRUCTED IN THE FUTURE.+

ON COMPLETION, MR. NG SAID, THE EXISTING VEHICULAR FERRY SERVICE WOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW PIER AND THE EXISTING PIER WOULD THEN BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ELEVATED ROADWAY.

THE WORKS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTION WILL BE SUPERVISED BY MESSRS. MAUNSELL CONSULTANTS ASIA ON BEHALF OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

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