XN000022-1988-05-13 — Page 3

FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1988

2

ANOTHER TEST TO RELIEVE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL CONGESTION

* * * * *

THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT WILL TEST FROM 11 AM ON MONDAY (MAY 16) ANOTHER SCHEME TO IMPROVE VEHICLE MERGING MOVEMENTS ON THE APPROACH ROADS TO THE KOWLOON ENTRANCE OF THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL.

THE SCHEME WILL RUN CONTINUOUSLY FOR THREE TO FOUR DAYS, DEPENDING ON ITS PROGRESS AND RESULTS.

THIS WILL BE THE SECOND TEST TO BE CONDUCTED UNDER THE CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL TRAFFIC STUDY. A SIGNAL-CONTROLLED MERGING TEST HAS BEEN TRIED OUT AT THE HONG KONG ENTRANCE OF THE TUNNEL BETWEEN TUESDAY AND FRIDAY THIS WEEK.

THE EXPERIMENTAL SCHEME WILL BE CARRIED OUT NEAR THE OF THE APPROACH ROAD LEADING FROM GASCOIGNE ROAD EASTBOUND APPROACH ROAD LEADING FROM PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD,

JUNCTION AND THE

AT PRESENT, BOTH APPROACH ROADS ARE TWO-LANE CARRIAGEWAYS. MOTORISTS TRAVELLING ON THE FOUR LANES OF THESE TWO ROADS ARE REQUIRED FIRST TO MERGE INTO THREE LANES AND THEN LATER INTO TWO LANES WHEN THEY MEET TRAFFIC COMING FROM CHATHAM ROAD NORTH.

THE MERGING MOVEMENTS HAVE CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVING VEHICLES TRAVELLING TOWARDS THE TUNNEL PORTAL.

UNDER THE EXPERIMENT,

CONFUSION

INSTEAD OF ALL VEHICLES WEAVING ABOUT AT THE SAME TIME, VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON THE SAME APPROACH ROAD WILL BE REGULATED TO MERGE ONLY AMONG THEMSELVES INTO A SINGLE LANE.

IT IS HOPED THAT THIS WILL SIMPLIFY THE MERGING MOVEMENTS AND FACILITATE TRAFFIC FLOW TOWARDS THE TUNNEL.

AT THE SAME TIME, THE FOUR-LANE TRAFFIC FROM THE TWO APPROACH ROADS WILL BE TRIMMED INTO A TWO-LANE OPERATION IN THE FIRST INSTANCE, THUS ELIMINATING THE NEEDS POR FURTHER MERGING WHEN THEY MEET VEHICLES COMING FROM CHATHAM ROAD NORTH.

TRAFFIC CONES WILL BE PLACED ON THE TWO APPROACH ROADS GUIDE MOTORISTS.

TO

OF

BE

VARIATIONS IN TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS, SUCH AS THE POSITIONING THE TRAFFIC CONES AND THE REGULATING OF VEHICLE MOVEMENTS, WILL INTRODUCED DURING THE COURSE OF THE EXPERIMENT IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THEIR DIFFERENT IMPACTS ON TRAFFIC FLOW.

MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED то OBSERVE AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTION INDICATED BY THE TRAFFIC CONES, AND TO DRIVE WITH EXTRA CARE.

13