XN000022-1985-07-25 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1985

OPENING THE SECOND SECTION OF THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR FROM TAIKOO SHING TO SHAU KEI WAN, SIR DAVID SAID THAT THE SPECTACULAR HIGHWAY, BUILT AT A COST OF $1.5 BILLION, RUNS TO THE HEART OF EASTERN DISTRICT.

HE SAID THE SECOND STAGE OF THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR,

HAD AND THE ISLAND LINE OF THE MTR, COMPLETED IN THE SAME YEAR, BROUGHT ABOUT A DRAMATIC CHANGE TO LIFE ON THE NORTHERN SHORE OF HONG KONG ISLAND.

→IN PARTICULAR THEY HAVE ENHANCED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND WILL ENCOURAGE URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT AND BRING GREATER PROSPERITY TO EASTERN HONG KONG.

+BUT NOT ONLY HAS THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR COST $1.5 BILLION, EACH AND EVERY YEAR WE SPEND $1.5 BILLION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR ROAD SYSTEM.

+LATER THIS YEAR WHEN FURTHER STRETCHES OF THE MAIN NORTH- SOUTH TRAFFIC ROUTE ARE OPENED, WE WILL HAVE COMPLETED A MODERN HIGHWAY SYSTEM STRETCHING FROM SHAU KEI WAN TO FANLING, + HE SAID.

BEYOND FANLING, SIR DAVID SAID, CONSTRUCTION WAS ALREADY IN PROGRESS TO COMPLETE THE NORTHERN CIRCULAR ROAD, AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR WORK WOULD START ON A NEW HIGHWAY, CROSSING THE BORDER TO SHENZHEN AND GUANGZHOU.

RECALLING THAT PLANS TO COMPLETE A ROAD AND RAIL LINK IN THE EASTERN HARBOUR HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED ON TUESDAY, SIR DAVID ADDED: +NEXT YEAR, CONSTRUCTION OF A TUNNEL HIGHWAY LINKING SHA TIN AND TSUEN WAN WILL BEGIN. FROM SHAM SHUI PO TO WAN CHAI, WORKS ARE IN PROGRESS EXPANDING AND IMPROVING THE ROAD SYSTEM, HE SAID.

THE FULL LIST OF ALL THAT WAS BEING DONE WAS TOO LONG TO MENTION, BUT IT WOULD BE CLEAR FROM WHAT HE HAD SAID THAT HONG KONG WAS NOT STANDING STILL, SIR DAVID SAID.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS SECTION OF THE PLAN WAS AN IMPRESSIVE TRIBUTE TO THE ENGINEERS WHO CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED IT AND TO THE CONTRACTORS WHO BUILT IT, HE SAID.

+ALL THOSE INVOLVED CAN BE JUSTLY PROUD OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT AND TO HONG KONG AND I CONGRATULATE THEM ON A JOB WELL DONE,+ SIR DAVID SAID.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY. THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, DR K.F. NIP, SAID THAT WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW SECTION MOTORISTS WOULD BE ABLE TO TRAVEL FROM CAUSEWAY BAY TO SHAU KEI WAN IN JUST SIX MINUTES.

HE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE OPENING OF THE FIRST SECTION OF THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR, FROM CAUSEWAY BAY TO TAIKOO SHING LAST YEAR, THE COMMUNITIES ALONG KING'S ROAD HAVE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL RELIEF FROM TRAFFIC CONGESTION, NOISE AND FUMES.

/+THIS HAS