TUESDAY, JULY 23, 1985
ROAD-RAIL HARBOUR LINK GETS GO AHEAD
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GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO BUILD A SECOND CROSS-HARBOUR LINK BETWEEN QUARRY BAY AND CHA KWO LING COMPRISING A COMBINED ROAD AND RAILWAY TUNNEL.
THE ROAD PORTION WILL BE OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR SIMILAR TO THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL, AND THE RAIL PORTION WILL BE LEASED TO THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION.
CONSTRUCTION WORK IS EXPECTED TO START EARLY NEXT YEAR
AND TO BE COMPLETED BY THE MIDDLE OF 1989.
RECOMMENDATIONS ON EXACTLY WHO SHOULD BE AWARDED THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT WOULD BE PUT TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT IAN MACPHERSON SAID THAT MOST OF THE PROPOSALS RECEIVED FROM THE INTERNATIONAL GROUP OF CONSORTIA HAD BEEN +OF A HIGH STANDARD IN ENGINEERING, TRANSPORT PLANNING AND COMMERCIAL TERMS+.
HE ADDED: +SOME OF THEM DEMONSTRATED CONSIDERABLE INGENUITY AND INNOVATION. +
IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE NOTICE PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER LAST YEAR A TOTAL OF NINE CONSORTIA HAD SUBMITTED PROPOSALS. ALTHOUGH ONLY A FOUR-LANE ROAD TUNNEL WAS STIPULATED OTHER INNOVATIONS WERE INVITED, INCLUDING A RAIL FACILITY.
MR MACPHERSON EXPLAINED: +THE EXERCISE WAS IN THE NATURE OF A DESIGN, ENGINEERING AND FINANCIAL COMPETITION TO MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE USE OF THE CROSSING AT THE LOWEST COST TO THE COMMUNITY, BEARING IN MIND THE NEED FOR SUBMISSIONS TO BE COMMERCIALLY VIABLE.+
THE RESULT WAS THAT MOST FELT A RAIL TUNNEL IN ADDITION TO THE FOUR-LANE ROAD TUNNEL WAS VIABLE.
+GOVERNMENT WAS PERSUADED THAT IF A RAIL TUNNEL WAS FEASIBLE AT NO COST TO THE GOVERNMENT, IT SHOULD CLEARLY BE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO INCLUDE IT AS PART OF THE PROJECT,+ SAID MR MACPHERSON.
THERE ARE SIX MAIN BENEFITS THAT WOULD DERIVE FROM
A SECOND MTR HARBOUR CROSSING:
* THE SECTION OF THE MTR IN NATHAN ROAD IS
ALREADY HIGHLY CONGESTED AND A SECOND RAIL LINK UNDER THE HARBOUR IS ESSENTIAL IF THE POTENTIAL OF THE MTRC IS TO BE MAXIMISED;
* IT WOULD PROVIDE A STRATEGIC SECOND CROSSING FOR USE IN EMERGENCIES;
/* AS THE
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