XN000022-1985-02-18 — Page 11

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1985

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FLYOVER TO EASE TUNNEL TRAFFIC FLOW

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A 660-METRE STRETCH OF ELEVATED ROADWAY IN KOWLOON TONG, WHICH SHOULD GREATLY IMPROVE LION ROCK TUNNEL TRAFFIC FLOW, WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED THIS (MONDAY) MORNING.

KNOWN AS THE CORNWALL STREET-WATERLOO ROAD-JUNCTION ROAD FLYOVER, IT WILL ALSO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW ALONG THE EAST-WEST LINK OF CORNWALL STREET AND JUNCTION ROAD.

UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR STEPHEN CHEONG, WHO OFFICIATED AT THE OPENING, SAID THAT MUCH OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME WAS DEVOTED TO IMPROVING HONG KONG'S ROAD NETWORKS, SO AS TO COPE WITH THE EXPANDING ECONOMY OF THE TERRITORY AS WELL AS MEETING THE INCREASING TRANSPORT NEEDS OF THE PUBLIC.

+FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE SPENT ABOUT $5 124 MILLION ON NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTIONS AND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS. IT IS CERTAINLY GOVERNMENT'S FIRM INTENTION TO CONTINUE TO INVEST HEAVILY BUT WISELY IN THE COMING YEARS, SO THAT THE ROAD NETWORKS OF THE TERRITORY CAN BE FURTHER IMPROVED WHERE NECESSARY, HE SAID.

+ BARRING UNFORESEEN ADVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT IS EXPECTED THAT $5 160 MILLION WILL BE SPENT OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.+

MR CHEONG SAID THAT GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY COMMISSIONED DETAILED TRANSPORT STUDIES TO IDENTIFY FUTURE IMPROVEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ROAD SYSTEM IN THE NORTH KOWLOON REGION, TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT HIGHWAY FACILITIES FOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT AREA.

APART FROM THE NEW FLYOVER, PLANNING FOR THE WIDENING OF PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD FLYOVER WAS ALREADY IN AN ADVANCED STAGE, AND CONSIDERATION WAS ALSO GIVEN TO PROVIDING GRADE-SEPARATED FACILITIES ACROSS WATERLOO ROAD TO SERVE LOCAL TRAFFIC IN KOWLOON TONG, HE ADDED.

MR CHEONG SAID THE NEW FLYOVER HAD BEEN COMPLETED THREE MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, DESPITE THE LIMITED WORKING SPACE, CONGESTED TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND THE NOISE RESTRICTIONS NECESSARY IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

HAVING INSPECTED THE WORKMANSHIP OF THE FLYOVER, HE COMMENDED THE CONTRACTOR AND STAFF OF THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE WHO HAD DESIGNED THE FLYOVER AND SUPERVISED THE CONSTRUCTION, FOR +A JOB WELL DONE+.

SPEAKING ALSO, THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, DR NIP KAM-FAN SAID THAT IN THE PAST TEN YEARS, THERE HAD BEEN RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TOWNS AND IN NORTH KOWLOON AREAS SUCH AS CHUK YUEN, WONG TAI SIN AND MA CHAI HANG.

/+THESE DEVELOPMENTS