XN000022-1979-05-11 — Page 5

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FRIDAY, MAY 11, 1979

NATHAN ROAD TO BE REINSTATED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION

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WORK WILL START WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO REINSTATE NATHAN ROAD TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION AND BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR IT SHOULD BE BETTER THAN EVER, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

MOTORISTS AND PEDESTRIANS WILL BENEFIT CONSIDERABLY FROM THE PLANS PREPARED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE ROAD WILL BE REMODELLED, THERE WILL BE A NEW CENTRAL DIVIDER AND MORE AND BETTER TRAFFIC AIDS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE PWD TODAY INVITED TENDERS FOR THE ROAD IMPROVEMENT WORKS.

+THE WORKS WOULD BE IN THE SECTION OF NATHAN ROAD BETWEEN SALISBURY ROAD AND MONG KOK ROAD, AND WOULD BE CARRIED OUT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PERMANENT REINSTATEMENT WORKS OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT APART FROM THE WORKS NECESSARY TO PUT NATHAN ROAD BACK TO A DUAL CARRIAGEWAY SERVING UNRESTRICTED NORTH AND SOUTHBOUND TRAFFIC, THE CONTRACT WOULD REMODEL THE ROAD TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW TO COPE WITH FUTURE DEMAND FOLLOWING THE OPENING OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE SECTION OF NATHAN ROAD SOUTH OF GASCOIGNE ROAD WOULD BE REMODELLED INTO A DUAL TWO-LANE CARRIAGEWAY, WHILE THE SECTION BETWEEN GASCOIGNE AND MONG KOK ROADS WOULD BE REINSTATED TO DUAL THREE-LANE.

+ INCLUDED IN THE WORK IS ALSO CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW CENTRAL DIVIDER, PROVISION OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC AIDS AND MODIFICATION OF CORNER RADII TO IMPROVE THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC FLOW, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

*THE SCHEME WILL BRING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES ALONG NATHAN ROAD AS A RESULT OF THE PROVISION OF BETTER DESIGNED PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS WITH SIGNAL CONTROL, AND THE WIDENING OF FOOTWAYS AS A RESULT OF ROAD REMODELLING.

+DROP-KERB CROSSINGS WILL ALSO BE PROVIDED FOR ALL THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS. THIS WILL BE DONE TO HELP THE DISABLED TO CROSS THE ROAD, HE SAID.

IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL THIS WORK, THE STREET LIGHTING AND COMPUTER-CONTROLLED TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL SYSTEM IN THE AREA WILL BE IMPROVED.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT WAS ANTICIPATED THAT WORK WOULD BEGIN IN JULY AND THAT THE WHOLE SCHEME WOULD TAKE ABOUT 16 MONTHS TO COMPLETE.

IN PROGRAMMING THE CONTRACT, HOWEVER, IT WAS PROPOSED TO PHASE THE WORKS SO THAT NATHAN ROAD COULD CARRY UNRESTRICTED TWO-WAY TRAFFIC BY THE TIME THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY OPENS EARLY NEXT YEAR.

THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN DESIGNED BY THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT BRANCH OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE, AND THE CONTRACT WILL BE LET AND WILL BE SUPERVISED AND ADMINISTERED BY THE HIGHWAYS (KOWLOON) DIVISION OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE WORKS BRANCH.