XN000022-1981-06-25 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 1981

BIG SHA TIN - TAI PO COASTAL HIGHWAY CONTRACT AWARDED

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THE LARGEST SINGLE CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACT TO DATE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SHA TIN TAI PO COASTAL HIGHWAY WAS

AWARDED TODAY BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

WORTH ABOUT $608 MILLION, THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED BY MR JOHN DON, DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT, AND MR P. RINALDI, FAR EAST MANAGER OF VIANINI S.P.A.

WORK WILL START NEXT MONTH AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1984.

+THE CONTRACT IS FOR A SEVEN-KILOMETRE DUAL THREE-LANE HIGHWAY FROM THE NORTHERN END OF SHA TIN NEW TOWN TO TAI PO AS PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TRUNK ROAD SYSTEM, MR DON SAID.

+MOST OF THE ROAD WILL BE BUILT ON AN EMBANKMENT TO BE BUILT IN THE SEA NEXT TO THE EXISTING KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY TRACK. +

THE CONTRACT ALSO PROVIDES FOR EXTENSIVE DREDGING AND RECLAMATION WORK ADJACENT TO THE ROAD AT MA LIU SHUT.

A SEPARATE CYCLE TRACK/FOOTPATH ON THE SEAWARD SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WILL BE A FEATURE OF THE WORKS. IN ADDITION TO

ITS RECREATIONAL USE, THIS WILL ALSO LINK UP WITH CYCLE TRACKS BEING PROVIDED AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHA TIN AND TAI PO NEW TOWNS.

THE CONTRACT ALSO INCLUDES EXTENSIVE PLANTING AND LANDSCAPE WORKS.

MR DON SAID THAT TO ENSURE MINIMAL INTERFERENCE WITH TRAFFIC ON TAI PO ROAD, THE FILL FOR RECLAMATION WORK WOULD BE CARRIED BY SEA AND ON SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED HAUL ROADS.

TO CONNECT WITH THE ROAD SYSTEMS IN SHA TIN AND TAI PO, A GRADE-SEPARATED INTERCHANGE IS TO BE BUILT AT EACH END OF THE HIGHWAY.

PART OF THE INTERCHANGE AT TAI PO IS BEING BUILT UNDER A SEPARATE CONTRACT TO ENSURE THAT THE EXISTING LEVEL CROSSING IS REMOVED AND BRIDGES ARE BUILT OVER THE KCR TRACK BEFORE THE KCR IS ELECTRIFIED NEXT YEAR.

WORK ON