XN000022-1983-11-10 — Page 8

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1983

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BRIDGE STUDIES PUT IN BROAD CONTEXT

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THE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE A VEHICLE THROUGH OR OVER THE HARBOUR, REGARDLESS OF COST

THE SECRETARY FOR AND THE EFFECT ON THE TRANSPORT PROGRAMME TRANSPORT, THE HON ALAN SCOTT, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+HOWEVER CLEAR WHAT IS DESIRABLE MAY BE TO INTELLIGENT ANTICIPATORS, OUR RESOURCES DO NOT PERMIT US TO PROVIDE EVERYTHING THAT IS DESIRABLE, AT THE MOMENT IT IS DESIRED, MR SCOTT SAID.

HE WAS REPLYING TO THE HON LYDIA DUNN'S EARLIER ALLEGATION THAT THE CIVIL SERVICE FAILED TO USE REASONABLE ANTICIPATION IN THE LATTER PART OF THE 1970'S IN PURSUING STUDIES FOR WHAT SHE DESCRIBED AS THE +LEI YUE MUN NON-BRIDGE+.

+THE FACT, HOWEVER, IS THAT STUDIES WERE CONTINUING, AT VARIOUS LEVELS, NOT ONLY OF SUCH A POSSIBLE BRIDGE BUT OF OTHER HARBOUR CROSSING OPTIONS, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT EQUALLY IMPORTANT, THE PRIORITY FOR SUCH A BRIDGE, AS COMPARED WITH OTHER TRANSPORT PROJECTS, WAS BEING EXAMINED, AT A TIME WHEN PUBLIC SECTOR EXPENDITURE WAS EXPANDING SUBSTANTIALLY IN RESPONSE TO DEMANDS FROM ALL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES FOR INCREASING FUNDS.

IN REGARD TO A BRIDGE, IT WAS NOT ONLY A QUESTION OF COMMISSIONING STUDIES; ITS FEASIBILITY DEPENDED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ON PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF THE AIRPORT INSTRUMENT LANDING SYSTEM (ILS).

+THIS COULD NOT BE DETERMINED UNTIL DETAILED DESIGNS OF POSSIBLE BRIDGES WERE AVAILABLE, WHICH IN TURN DEPENDED ON UP- TO-DATE INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS IN MARINE AND TRANSPORT TERMS,+ MR SCOTT EXPLAINED.

ON MISS DUNN'S REMARK THAT THE LEI YUE MUN BRIDGE WAS ALWAYS A NON-STARTER+, MR SCOTT SAID THIS WAS SIMPLY NOT THE CASE.

+THE PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT WHO EXAMINED THE ILS ASPECT WAS INITIALLY OF THE VIEW THAT A DESIGN COULD BE FOUND WHICH WOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE ILS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL EARLY THIS YEAR THAT IT BEGAN TO SEEM THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE, HE POINTED OUT.

BUT WHATEVER THE INITIAL PROGNOSIS, HE SAID, THE STUDY HAD TO BE DONE WITH A SCALE MODEL, USING SEVERAL SUCCESSIVE DESIGN TYPES OF BRIDGE.

THE LEI YUE MUN BRIDGE STUDY UNDERTAKEN CONCLUDED.

* THAT THE BENEFITS OF IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS WERE GREATER

THAN THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS DERIVING FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF AREAS TO BE OPENED UP BY THE BRIDGE, AND

* THAT THE ABERDEEN TUNNEL SHOULD BE GIVEN PRIORITY BEFORE

THE BRIDGE.

/THE STUDY