XN000022-1987-08-01 — Page 3

SATURDAY, AUGUST 1, 1987

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ROUTE 5 TUNNEL BREAKTHROUGH

THE FIRST BREAKTHROUGH OF THE TUNNEL SYSTEM NOW BEING BUILT AS PART OF A $1.2 BILLION ROAD CONNECTING SHA TIN WITH TSUEN WAN WAS ACHIEVED TODAY (SATURDAY) AFTER 10 MONTHS' WORK.

OFFICIATING AT THE BREAKTHROUGH WAS THE DIRECTOR OF HIGHWAYS, MR HAROLD BEATON.

5.

THE SHA TIN/TSUEN WAN ROAD, TO BE KNOWN AS ROUTE SEVEN-KILOMETRE LONG. IT WILL BE A DUAL, TWO-LANE TRUNK

TSUEN WAN CONNECTION, SHING MUN SECTION AND

THREE SECTIONS:

CONNECTION.

WILL BE ROAD WITH

SHA TIN

THE 3.5-KILOMETRE-LONG SHING MUN SECTION INCLUDES TWO-LANE TUNNELS UNDER SMUGGLERS RIDGE AND NEEDLE HILL, LINKED PAIR OF BRIDGES OVER THE LOWER SHING MUN RIVER GORGE.

+

A BRIDGE OVER THE SHING MUN ROAD DIVERSION A TOLL PLAZA 13 LANES AND AN ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL BUILDING AT TSUEN WAN WO YI HOP ROAD WILL ALSO BE INCLUDED.

TWIN,

A

BY

WITH NEAR

TODAY'S BREAKTHROUGH WAS AT TILE NORTH TUBE UNDER SMUGGLERS RIDGE. WORK ON THIS TUBE STARTED LAST SEPTEMBER AND ABOUT 60,000 CUBIC METRES OF ROCK HAS BEEN EXCAVATED AND 65 TONNES OF EXPLOSIVES USED.

THE BREAKTHROUGH AT THE ADJACENT SOUTH TUBE NEXT MONTH.

IS

EXPECTED EARLY

EXCAVATION FOR THE TUBES UNDER NEEDLE HILL FROM THE SHA TIN END IS PROGRESSING WELL AND THE BREAKTHROUGH IS EXPECTED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.

INSTALLATION OF ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT INSIDE THE TUNNELS WILL COMMENCE SHORTLY AFTER FULL COMPLETION OF EXCAVATION WORK NEXT APRIL.

MODERN FACILITIES, INCLUDING CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION, A PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM, EMERGENCY TELEPHONES AND A RADIO RE-BROADCAST SYSTEM, WILL BE PROVIDED.

BETWEEN

THE WHOLE ROUTE 5 PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN TO TRAFFIC AT THE END OF 1989, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO DRIVE

TSUEN WAN AND

SHA TIN IN 10 MINUTES.

THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE TUNNEL WORK IS A JOINT VENTURE COMPANY COMPRISING GAMMON (HK) LTD, DRAGAGES ET TRAVAUX AND PUBLICS-SKANSA AB.

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