XN000022-1982-06-29 — Page 5

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TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1982

FIRST TUBE OF AIRPORT TUNNEL OPENS

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THE OPENING OF THE AIRPORT TUNNEL MARKS ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD COMMUNICATION IN HONG KONG, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE HON WONG LAM, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE FIRST TUBE OF THE 1 260-METRE TUNNEL.

HE SAID THE TUNNEL COMPLETED THE FINAL LINK IN THE NEW MAIN TRAFFIC ROUTE 3 WHICH WOULD PROVIDE A HIGH CAPACITY ROAD BETWEEN SOUTH KOWLOON AND KWUN TONG.

+WITH THE OPENING OF THE SECOND TUBE OF THE TUNNEL LATER THIS YEAR, THERE WILL BE A TWO-LANE, DUAL CARRIAGEWAY BETWEEN KOWLOON AND KWUN TONG,+ MR WONG SAID.

+OTHER PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRPORT TUNNEL ARE, FROM THE WEST, THE WUHU INTERCHANGE, OPENED IN 1980- THE EAST KOWLOON WAY, OPENED LAST YEAR, AND THE SAN SHAN INTERCHANGE WHICH WAS PARTIALLY OPENED LAST YEAR.

+THE EASTERN APPROACH ROADS AND INTERCHANGE AT THE FAR END OF THE TUNNEL WERE COMPLETED SOME TIME AGO AND A GRADE SEPARATED INTERCHANGE WITH WAI YIP STREET WILL BE OPENED IN A FEW MONTHS TIME.+

IN ADDITION TO ITS MAIN ROLE OF PROVIDING A ROUTE BETWEEN KOWLOON PENINSULA AND KWUN TONG, THE AIRPORT TUNNEL AND ITS APPROACHES WILL ALSO GIVE IMPROVED ACCESS TO THE AIRPORT PASSENGER TERMINAL AND THE AIRPORT CARGO TERMINAL.

MR WONG PRAISED THE GOVERNMENT FOR INTRODUCING THE MOST SOPHISTICATED MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT TO PROVIDE A HIGH DEGREE OF SAFETY FOR DRIVERS AND THEIR PASSENGERS.

+A COMPREHENSIVE TRAFFIC CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN. SOME OF THE ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT TO BE INTRODUCED WILL BE NEW TO HONG KONG DRIVERS, + AS THESE INCLUDE VARIABLE DIRECTION AND WARNING SIGNS, PAVEMENT LIGHTS AND AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC CONTROL BARRIERS, HE SAID.

SUCH SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT WILL PERMIT THE RAPID

DIVERSION OF TRAFFIC WHEN NEEDED.

MR WONG SAID THE OPENING OF THE NEW ROUTE WILL BENEFIT NOT ONLY DRIVERS USING IT, BUT WILL ALSO PROVIDE RELIEF TO TRAFFIC USING ROADS IN EAST KOWLOON RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE ROUTE.

IN HIS SPEECH WELCOMING MR WONG, THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, MR BRYAN O'RORKE, SAID THE SECTION OF THE TUNNEL UNDER THE AIRPORT WAS BUILT AS EARLY AS 1976 TO PHASE IN WITH AIRPORT OPERATIONS IN RELATIONS TO THE EXTENSION OF THE AIRPORT RUNWAY.