XN000022-1978-06-01 — Page 6

THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1978

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P.W.D. ROAD PROJECTS WORTH $1,900 MILLION UNDERWAY

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THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS AT PRESENT WORKING ON 48 ROAD PROJECTS OF VARYING NATURE, WORTH A TOTAL OF $1,900 MILLION.

THIS WAS REVEALED TODAY BY THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT HIGHWAY ENGINEER, MR. CHAN NAI-KEONG.

MR. CHAN SAID EVERYTHING POSSIBLE WAS BEING DONE TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY.

+AT THIS VERY MOMENT, WE HAVE CONTRACTS IN HAND FOR SOME 48 ROAD PROJECTS WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF ABOUT $1,900 MILLION..

+ THE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON ROADS FOR LAST FINANCIAL YEAR WAS JUST OVER $300 MILLION AND THE ESTIMATED CAPITAL EXPENDITURE ON ROADS FOR 1978/79 IS ABOUT $450 MILLION.→ MR. CHAN SAID.

HE OUTLINED MAJOR PROJECTS NOW UNDERWAY ON HONG KONG ISLAND, IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES,

+ON HONG KONG ISLAND, MAJOR PROJECTS INCLUDE ABERDEEN TUNNEL AND ITS APPROACH ROAD SYSTEM AT BOTH ENDS, THE $260 MILLION NEW COASTAL ROUTE FROM VICTORIA PARK TO NORTH POINT, IMPROVEMENTS OF THE POKFULAM ROAD, AND A SOCN-TO-START ELEVATED ROAD LINKING POKFULAM ROAD WITH THE WATERFRONT VIA HILL ROAD,+ MR. CHAN SAID.

+TENDERS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FLYOVER AT WONG NEI CHONG GAP ROAD/TAI HANG ROAD/STUBBS ROAD ROUNDABOUT HAVE BEEN CALLED AND WE ARE GEARED TO START WORK IN AUGUST THIS YEAR.

ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ISLAND, A BRIDGE TOGETHER WITH AN APPROACH ROAD SYSTEM IS BEING CONSTRUCTED TO LINK AP LEI CHAU WITH ABERDEEN.

ON KOWLOON SIDE, HE SAID. WORK WAS IN PROGRESS TO PROVIDE A MUCH IMPROVED ROUTE LINKING HÚNG HOM WITH KWUN TONG VIA A TUNNEL UNDER THE AIRPORT RUNWAY.

IN THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR, THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE ROUTE ALONG THE TYPHOON SHELTER TO LAI CHI KOK IS CONTINUING WITH A 337 MILLION CONTRACT FOR AN ELEVATED SECTION AT TAI KOK TSUI.

MR. CHAN SAID: +FOR THE CENTRAL SPINE ROUTE, WORK HAS STARTED ON A FLYOVER AT THE JUNCTION OF WATERLOO ROAD AND CORNWALL STREET,

+FURTHER SOUTH ALONG THIS ROUTE, OUR ENGINEERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON AN INTRICATE SCHEME TO WIDEN THE PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD FLYOVER FROM THREE LANES TO FOUR WITHOUT CAUSING UNACCEPTABLE TRAFFIC CONGESTION WHILE WORK IS IN PROGRESS.+

IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, HE SAID, TENDERS HAD BEEN CALLED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE THREE-LANE SÉCOND CARRIAGEWAY OF TUEN MUN ROAD AND WORK WOULD START IN JULY THIS YEAR.

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