XN000022-1977-12-20 — Page 2

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1977·

NEW BEACON HILL RAILWAY TUNNEL

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TODAY AWARDED A $78 MILLION CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BEACON HILL RAILWAY TUNNEL.

THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO AOKI CONSTRUCTION CO. LTD. OF JAPAN.

AT A CEREMONY AT MURRAY BUILDING, THE P.W.D.'S DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, MR. DAVID STEAD, SIGNED THE CONTRACT ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT, WHILE MR. HIROYOSHI AOKI, PRESIDENT OF AOKI CONSTRUCTION CO. LTD., SIGNED FOR THE CONTRACTOR.

MR. STEAD SAID THAT THE NEW 2.3 KM DOUBLE TRACK TUNNEL WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED TO THE WEST OF THE EXISTING SINGLE TRACK TUNNEL WHICH IT WILL REPLACE.

THE PRESENT TUNNEL HAS BEEN IN USE SINCE 1910 AND ACCOMMODATES THE LAST SECTION OF SINGLE TRACK RAILWAY BETWEEN HUNG HOM AND SHA TIN.

MR. STEAD SAID THAT THE ROUTE FOR THE NEW TUNNEL HAD BEEN CHOSEN TO IMPROVE THE ALIGNMENT OF THE KOWLOON CANTON RAILWAY AND, BY FLATTENING THE GRADIENT FROM SHA TIN STATION, TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE RAILWAY, PARTICULARLY FOR GOODS TRAFFIC.

THE NEW TUNNEL WILL BE ABOUT SEVEN METRE HIGH AND JUST OVER TEN METRE WIDE, ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS THE TWO LION ROCK ROAD TUNNELS.

MR. STEAD SAID THAT THE HEIGHT IS SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBLE ELECTR IF ICATION OF THE K.C.R.

→THE TUNNEL WILL BE LINED THROUGHOUT WITH CONCRETE WHICH WILL VARY FROM A THICKNESS OF 550 MM NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO 300 MM OVER MOST OF ITS LENGTH, WHERE THE TUNNEL WILL PASS THROUGH SOLID ROCK.+

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW TUNNEL IS EXPECTED TO TAKE TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS, HE SAID.

CONTRACTS WILL BE CALLED SOON FOR THE BUILDING OF THE APPROACHES TO THIS NEW GATEWAY TO THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND FOR THE SUPPLY OF NECESSARY RAILS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT.

THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT $97 MILLION.

/A UNIQUE FEATURE