XN000022-1978-03-25 — Page 2

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 1978

LION ROCK TUNNEL CARRIES RECORD TRAFFIC

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A RECORD 6.36 MILLION VEHICLES USED THE LION ROCK TUNNEL LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.

THIS REPRESENTED AN INCREASE OF 1,176,000 VEHICLES OR NEARLY 23 PER CENT COMPARED WITH FIGURES FOR 1976, AND BROUGHT THE OVERALL TOTAL SINCE THE OPENING OF THE TUNNEL 10 YEARS AGO TO 40.1 MILLION VEHICLES.

PRIVATE CARS MADE UP ABOUT 66 PER CENT OF THE TRAFFIC WHILST HEAVY AND MEDIUM VEHICLES REPRESENTED 19 PER CENT AND 15 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

THE RECORD TRAFFIC VOLUME OF THIS MOST IMPORTANT LINK BETWEEN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES HAS RESULTED FROM THE MASSIVE DEVELOPMENTS AT SHA TIN NEW TOWN.

THE INTRODUCTION OF FIVE NEW TERRITORIES BUS ROUTES THROUGH THE LION ROCK TUNNEL ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE HEAVY TRAFFIC. BUS TRIPS IN 1977 REACHED A NEW PEAK OF 33,770, ABOUT 18 PER CENT HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

THE STATISTICS ALSO REVEALED THAT THE HIGHEST DAILY TUNNEL TRAFFIC EVER RECORDED AT LION ROCK WAS 23,731 VEHICLES. IT WAS ACHIEVED ON SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 1977. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 22,480 VEHICLES.

1977 WAS ALSO A BUSY YEAR FOR THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL. A TOTAL OF 21,870,331 VEHICLES USED THE TUNNEL, AN INCREASE OF 20 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

MEANWHILE, CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE ABERDEEN AND AIRPORT TUNNELS BOTH ARE SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN 1980 – IS PROGRESSING ON SCHEDULE.

WHICH WILL FORM

THE 1.8 KILOMETRE-LONG ABERDEEN TOLL TUNNEL PART OF ROUTE 1 CONNECTING THE DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRIAL-CUM- RESIDENTIAL AREA OF ABERDEEN AND AP LEI CHAU WITH THE NORTHERN SHORES OF HONG KONG ISLAND AND THEN, THROUGH THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL TO THE MAINLAND WILL BE COMPLETED IN MID-1980.

IT WILL HAVE TWIN TUNNELS, EACH WITH TWO LANES OF SINGLE DIRECTIONAL TRAFFIC. THE TOLL PLAZA AND TUNNEL ADMINISTRATION BUILDING WILL BE AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE TUBES WHERE SITE FORMATION WORK IS NOW WELL UNDERWAY.

THE AIRPORT TUNNEL LYING ON ROUTE 3 CURVES UNDER THE RUNWAY OF KAI TAK AIRPORT AND WILL PROVIDE A MUCH NEEDED ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO AND FROM KWUN TONG.

/THE 1.3 KILOMETRE-LONG