XN000022-1982-05-05 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1982

LYEMUN BRIDGE STUDY EXPECTED END OF YEAR

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THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR DAVID MCDONALD, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT DETAILED STUDIES OF THE LYEMUN BRIDGE WERE ORDERED IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR AND WERE SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

MR MCDONALD, REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON T.S. LO, SAID THAT A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF A BRIDGE CROSSING LYEMUN WAS COMMISSIONED IN 1974 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE TRANSPORT STUDY.

HE SAID, THE STUDY CONCLUDED IN 1975 THAT IT WOULD BE FEASIBLE TO CONSTRUCT SUCH A CROSSING ALTHOUGH IT WAS RECOGNISED THAT SEVERE LIMITATIONS WOULD BE IMPOSED ON THE BRIDGE DESIGN BY AVIATION AND MARINE REQUIREMENTS.+

+ BUT IN THE CLIMATE OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THE MID 1970'S, WITH THE COMPETITION BETWEEN PROJECTS FOR LIMITED RESOURCES AND THE RELATIVELY LIGHT TRAFFIC VOLUMES USING THE CROSS-HARBOUR TUNNEL, THE BRIDGE PROJECT WAS NOT ACCORDED SUFFICIENT PRIORITY TO ALLOW IT TO PROCEED FURTHER AT THAT TIME.

HOWEVER, MR MCDONALD ADDED, IN THE LATE 1970'S TUNNEL TRAFF IC VOLUMES INCREASED DRAMATICALLY AND IN JANUARY 1980 A STUDY OF ALL LONG AND SHORT-TERM OPTIONS TO DEAL WITH CROSS-HARBOUR TRAFFIC DEMAND WAS COMMISSIONED.

+OF THE LONG-TERM OPTIONS SELECTED BY THE CONSULTANTS DURING THE COURSE OF THIS TWO-YEAR STUDY THE LYEMUN BRIDGE WAS GIVEN AS FIRST PREFERENCE, HE SAID.

+THE STUDY IDENTIFIED THAT THE EFFECT ON THE KAI TAK INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM WAS A MAJOR UNRESOLVED QUESTION REQUIRING MORE DETAILED INVESTIGATION. THE DETAILED STUDIES WERE THEN ORDERED.+

+ IF THE RESULTS PROVE FAVOURABLE, DETAILED DESIGN CAN THEN BE STARTED WITH A VIEW TO COMPLETION OF THE STRUCTURE BY THE END OF 1986 WHEN THE APPROACH ROADS ON THE ISLAND AND MAINLAND ARE PROGRAMMED FOR COMPLETION. +