XN000022-1983-11-15 — Page 8

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1983

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HE SAID GOVERNMENT WOULD BE SPENDING A CONSIDERABLE SUM OF MONEY ON NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO BUILD AN ESTIMATED 145 KILOMETRES OF ADDITIONAL ROADS, PLUS VARIOUS STRUCTURES FOR PEDESTRIANS AND TRAFFIC.

+FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR ALONE, ABOUT $1.15 BILLION WILL BE SPENT, AN INCREASE ON 28 PER CENT OVER SOME $900 MILLION SPENT THE PREVIOUS YEAR, MR SHORT SAID.

AT THE MOMENT, HE REVEALED, ABOUT 120 SEPARATE ROAD PROJECTS WERE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND SOME BO WERE IN VARIOUS STAGES OF PLANNING.

MR SHORT SAID MAJOR PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS INCLUDED THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR, THE WEST KOWLOON CORRIDOR, STAGE 1 OF TSUEN WAN BY-PASS, TAI PO BY-PASS AND THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD SYSTEM FROM SHA TIN TO WO HOP SHEK.

THE $900-MILLION TRUNK ROAD BETWEEN SHA TIN AND NORTH TAI PO, ONE OF HONG KONG'S LARGEST ROAD PROJECTS, WAS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1985.

LOOKING FURTHER INTO THE FUTURE, MR SHORT SAID THE SIX-KILOMETRE DUAL TWO-LANE HIGHWAY LINKING SHA TIN AND TSUEN WAN, A $600-MILLION PROJECT, WAS IN AN ADVANCED STAGE OF PLANNING, WITH CONSTRUCTION EXPECTED TO START IN 1985.

HE SAID CONSTRUCTION OF THE NORTH TSING YI BRIDGE COULD ALSO START IN 1985 TO LINK THE THRIVING INDUSTRIAL AREA ON THE ISLAND TO BUSTLING TSUEN WAN NEW TOWN.

MR SHORT SAID COMPLETION OF THE NEW FLYOVER WOULD NOT ONLY ELIMINATE THE CONGESTION WHICH HAD LONG EXISTED AT THE TAI HANG ROAD/TUNG LO WAN ROAD JUNCTION, BUT WOULD ALSO IMPROVE TRAFFIC CIRCULATION IN CAUSEWAY ROAD AND YEE WO STREET.

THE FLYOVER COMES INTO OPERATION AT 10 AM TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY).

AMBASSADOR DESIGNATE HERE TO SEE, LISTEN, LEARN'

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THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO PEKING (DESIGNATE), MR RICHARD EVANS, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT HE HAD COME TO HONG KONG +TO SEE, TO LISTEN AND TO LEARN+.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS ARRIVAL FROM LONDON, MR EVANS SAID HE WAS GREATLY HONOURED AND VERY PLEASED BY HIS APPOINTMENT AS BRITISH AMBASSADOR DESIGNATE TO CHINA.

+BUT I AM ALSO CONSCIOUS OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES I SHALL FACE WHEN I TAKE UP MY APPOINTMENT, ESPECIALLY IN RELATION TO THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CHINA ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.

/+GIVEN THESE