XN000022-1984-05-18 — Page 3

FRIDAY, MAY 18, 1984

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BRIDGE OVER SHING MUN RIVER

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THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT, MR BRYAN O'RORKE, AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF GAMMON (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MR D.A. MORRIS, TODAY (FRIDAY) JOINTLY OFFICIATED AT THE TOPPING OUT CEREMONY OF A BRIDGE OVER THE SHING MUN RIVER, SHA TIN.

THE 500 METRES LONG BRIDGE IS A PRESTRESSED CONCRETE STRUCTURE CARRYING A DUAL TWO-LANE CARRIAGEWAY.

IT HAS ONE MAIN SPAN OF 90 METRES, TWO OF 50 METRES AND 10 SHORTER SPANS.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE, BUILT ACROSS THE SHING MUN RIVER NEAR SHA TIN CITY ONE AND THE JUBILEE SPORTS CENTRE, STARTED IN FEBRUARY, 1982, AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JULY.

IT WILL FORM PART OF A TRUNK ROAD JOINING LION ROCK TUNNEL ROAD WITH TAI PO ROAD NEAR THE RACE COURSE.

THE TRUNK ROAD, WHICH IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WILL EVENTUALLY CONNECT WITH THE SHA TIN TAI PO COASTAL TRUNK ROAD, FORMING PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD.

IT WILL ALSO BE A SECTION OF THE PRINCIPAL ROAD LINK BETWEEN KOWLOON AND THE EASTERN PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES WHICH WILL PROVIDE A BYPASS OF SHA TIN NEW TOWN CENTRE FOR THROUGH TRAFFIC.

THE NEW TERRITORIES CIRCULAR ROAD LINKING THE NEW TOWNS IS BEING BUILT AT A COST OF $1.112 BILLION.

IT WILL BE 68.5 KILOMETRES LONG,

MR O'RORKE PAID TRIBUTE TO GAMMON (HONG KONG) LIMITED, THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE BRIDGE, AND MAUNSELL CONSULTANTS ASIA, THE CONSULTING ENGINEERS, WHO DESIGNED IT.

HE SAID THEIR CO-OPERATION WITH THE STAFF OF THE NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE TEAM WORK NEEDED GENERALLY IN THE EXECUTION OF MAJOR CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SHA TIN AND THE OTHER NEW TOWNS, IN HONG KONG.

+AS I AM SURE YOU WILL REMEMBER, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, VISITED SHA TIN WHEN HE WAS IN HONG KONG RECENTLY AND IN THE OPENING REMARKS OF HIS SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON WEDNESDAY HE REFERRED TO THE NEW TOWNS AS HAVING A POWERFUL SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND VITALITY, + MR OʻRORKE SAID.

HE SAID SHA TIN WAS CONTINUING TO EXPAND WITH THE RECENTLY- STARTED FURTHER FORMATION WORK AT MA ON SHAN ALONG THE SHORE FROM THE NEW BRIDGE.

THE TRUNK ROAD WOULD SEPARATE TRAFFIC THROUGH SHA TIN FROM LOCAL TRAFFIC AND WOULD BE PART OF THE SYSTEM OF TRUNK ROADS BEING BUILT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. THESE MAJOR WORKS WERE PART OF GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUING EFFORTS TO PROVIDE THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HONG KONG'S FURTHER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE MASSIVE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME, HE SAID.