XN000022-1978-10-23 — Page 4

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1978

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR LANTAU FIXED CROSSING

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CONTRACTORS OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WILL TOMORROW (TUESDAY) BEGIN AN INVESTIGATION OF THE GEOLOGICAL STRATA BETWEEN TSING YI AND THE NORTHERN TIP OF LANTAU IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED LANTAU FIXED CROSSING.

THE CONTRACT FOR THE INVESTIGATION WORK, COSTING NEARLY $1 MILLION, WAS FORMALLY SIGNED TODAY BY DR. CHOI YU-LEUK, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE CONSULTANTS MANAGEMENT DIVISION OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE, AND MR. W.N. RIDLEY THOMAS, OF ELECTRONIC AND GEOPHYSICAL SERVICES LTD.

DR. CHOI SAID THAT THE WORK COMPRISED A COMPREHENSIVE CURRENT, HYDROGRAPHIC AND MARINE GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY AND A LIMITED LAND SEISMIC SURVEY.

THE RESULTS OF THIS INVESTIGATION WILL PROVIDE THE CONSULTANTS, THE ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS GROUP OF HONG KONG, WITH INFORMATION TO ENABLE OTHER SPECIALIST STUDIES SUCH AS HYDRAULIC MODEL TESTS TO BE UNDERTAKEN. THESE STUDIES AND OTHER LINES OF RESEARCH WILL ENABLE THE CONSULTANTS TO RECOMMEND TO GOVERNMENT WHETHER THE MAIN CROSSING BETWEEN TSING YI AND MA WAN SHOULD BE A BRIDGE, AN IMMERSED TUBE TUNNEL OR A BORED TUNNEL.

ON COMPLETION OF THE INVESTIGATION IN 10 WEEKS, A REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT,

DR. CHOI SAID THAT THE CONTRACT WAS THE SECOND AND FINAL ONE FOR THE PRELIMINARY SITE INVESTIGATIONS TO BE CARRIED OUT

IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED LANTAU FIXED CROSSING.

WORK ON THE FIRST CONTRACT, AIMING AT PROVING GEOLOGICAL STRATA AND ASCERTAINING THE BEARING OF THE ROCK, BEGAN 12 DAYS AGO.

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