XN000022-1986-04-03 — Page 9

11.

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1986

8

1

MAJOR PROJECT TO UPGRADE CONNAUGHT ROAD

*****

WITHIN THREE YEARS IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE TO DRIVE FROM CHAI WAN TO WESTERN IN MINUTES WITHOUT ENCOUNTERING A SINGLE TRAFFIC LIGHT OR OTHER HOLD UP.

THAT WILL BE THE END RESULT OF ROAD WORKS, COSTING MORE THAN $600 MILLION, ABOUT TO START ON CONNAUGHT ROAD CENTRAL AND ALREADY

BUT THE THREE-YEAR PROJECT WILL BE FRAUGHT UNDERWAY IN WAN CHAI.

WITH MORE THAN THE USUAL ENGINEERING PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN ROAD UPGRADING.

THE IMPROVEMENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE ON CONNAUGHT ROAD, WILL BE CARRIED OUT ON ONE OF THE BUSIEST TRAFFIC CORRIDORS IN THE TERRITORY, THROUGH THE HEART OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICT AND OVER AN AREA THAT IS A MAZE OF MAJOR WATER MAINS, ELECTRICITY CABLES, TELEPHONE CABLES AND OTHER UTILITIES.

+

THE MAN IN CHARGE OF THE OVERALL PROJECT, SENIOR HIGHWAYS ENGINEER, HONG KONG REGION, MR KEITH WESTMORELAND, SAID: THROUGHOUT THE WORK WE INTEND TO KEEP TRAFFIC FLOWING AND NOT INTERRUPT ANY OF THE UTILITY SERVICES. THEORETICALLY THERE SHOULD BE NO TRAFFIC DISRUPTION, BUT WE KNOW THAT IN PRACTICE IT WON'T WORK LIKE THAT.

+THERE WILL BE SOME INCONVENIENCE, BUT, GIVEN THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH WE HAVE TO WORK IN HONG KONG, THAT'S INEVITABLE. HOWEVER, THE ALTERNATIVE TO CARRYING OUT THESE VITAL IMPROVEMENTS IS TRAFFIC CHAOS ALONG CONNAUGHT ROAD WITHIN THREE TO FOUR YEARS.+

PLANNING FOR THE UPGRADED CONNAUGHT ROAD PROJECT STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO, WHEN CONSULTANTS PETER Y.S. PUN AND ASSOCIATES CARRIED OUT FOR THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE THE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE MID-LEVELS AND CENTRAL DISTRICT. THE SCHEME TO UPGRADE CONNAUGHT ROAD WAS A RECOMMENDATION IN THAT STUDY, AND THE CONSULTANTS HAVE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS DEVELOPED THE SCHEME IN DETAIL.

+THIS SCHEME IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A FREE-FLOW, THROUGH- ROUTE BY THE GRADE SEPARATION OF THROUGH TRAFFIC FROM LOCAL TRAFFIC AT MAJOR JUNCTIONS,+ SAID MR WESTMORELAND.

IT INVOLVES TWO MAJOR CONTRACTS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE LET SHORTLY. THESE ARE:

*

AN IMPROVED HARCOURT ROAD FLYOVER, AN UNDERPASS AT PEDDER STREET AND A FOOTBRIDGE AT POTTINGER STREET. THIS IS A $185 MILLION SCHEME AND WORK IS EXPECTED TO START IN JULY.

A FLYOVER