XN000022-1978-09-13 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1978

AP LE CHAU BRIDGE RIGHT ON SCHEDULE

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WORK ON THE AP LEI CHAU ERIDGE HAS PASSED THE HALF WAY MARK, RIGHT ON SCHEDULE.

THE $12 MILLION BRIDGE -- THE FIRST TO LINK HONG KONG WITH AN OFFSHORE ISLAND IS ANOTHER LINK IN THE LONG CHAIN THAT WILL

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BRING THE RURAL AREAS CLOSER.

THE BRIDGE WILL PAVE THE WAY FOR INDUSTRIAL GROWTH ON THE ISLAND WHICH UNTIL NOW HAS SUPPORTED A SMALL FISHING COMMUNITY.

BY MID-1979 THE FIRST CAR SHOULD BE ABLE TO DRIVE ACROSS FROM ABERDEEN.

AND WHEN THE $280 MILLION ABERDEEN TUNNEL IS COMPLETED ABOUT A YEAR LATER THERE WILL BE A FAST AND DIRECT ROUTE OUT TO THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE 230-METRE-LONG BRIDGE WILL CARRY TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC WITH A CAPACITY OF 1,500 VEHICLES AN HOUR. IT WILL ALSO CARRY A WATER MAIN AND OTHER ESSENTIAL UTILITIES.

A PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATE TO ACCOMMODATE 19,000 PEOPLE IS ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON THE ISLAND.

THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, MR. CHAN NAI- KEUNG, TODAY MADE AN INSPECTION TOUR OF THE PROJECT AND SAID HE WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE PROGRESS MADE.

MR. CHAN ALSO VISITED THE SOUTHERN PORTAL OF THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL. THIS PROJECT IS NOW ON SCHEDULE AND PROGRESS WAS GOOD.

SAID MR. CHAN +THE GROUTING WORK UNDERTAKEN, AT THE SOUTHERN PORTALS SITE, TO OVERCOME CERTAIN PROBLEMS POSED BY GROUND WATER SEEPAGE AND DECOMPOSED MATERIAL, IS ALMOST COMPLETE.

+AT THE NORTHERN PORTALS. NEARLY 100 METRES OF TUNNELLING WORK HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT.+

NEARLY 400 WORKMEN ARE EMPLOYED ON THIS PROJECT,

ACCOMPANYING MR. CHAN ON HIS TOUR TODAY WERE DR. CHOI YU-LEUK, CHIEF ENGINEER FROM THE CONSULTANTS MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE MR. R.A. COCHRANE, A PARTNER IN MAUNSELL CONSULTANTS ASIA MR. DEREK BARTLETT, CHIEF RESIDENT ENGINEER FOR THE TUNNEL PROJECT AND MR. A. HAMILTON, SENIOR RESIDENT ENGINEER FOR THE BRIDGE PROJECT.

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