XN000022-1990-05-23 — Page 18

16

WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 1990

ELEVATED ON STEEP

"THE PROJECT WOULD BE AN ENORMOUS ONE AS THE HIGHWAY WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED ON COLUMNS AND EMBANKMENTS HILLSIDES AND OVER DEEP VALLEYS FOR A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 10 MILES.

-

"AS FOR THE MAIN FIXED CROSSING FROM LANTAU ISLAND VIA MA WAN TO TSING YI, IT WILL EITHER BE A SUSPENSION BRIDGE OR A TUNNEL; EITHER ONE WILL BE A WORLD CLASS UNDERTAKING AND WOULD TAKE' FOUR BUILD.

WEST

YEARS ΤΟ

+

THE

TO

"FROM TSING YI, THE MAIN ROUTE TO CENTRAL WOULD BE ROUTE 3 KOWLOON EXPRESSWAY AND THE WEST KOWLOON CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL HONG KONG ISLAND.

++

MR KWOK POINTED OUT THAT VARIOUS SEGMENTS OF THE ROUTE FROM THE AIRPORT ΤΟ

HONG KONG ISLAND WOULD BE HANDLED SEPARATELY.

BY

THE NORTH LANTAU EXPRESSWAY PROJECT WOULD LIKELY GOVERNMENT

BE FUNDED AND EXECUTED IN-HOUSE BY CONSULTANTS WHILE THE FIXED CROSSING WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED BY PRIVATE CONSORTIA.

YEAR. THE FUNDING,

A BID PACKAGE WOULD BE ISSUED BY SEPTEMBER THIS BIDDERS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO SUBMIT BIDS INCLUDING THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION FOR EITHER A BRIDGE OR CONSTRUCTION.

A TUNNEL

MR KWOK ADDED THAT ROUTE 3 WOULD PROVIDE THE CONNECTION RUNNING SOUTHWARDS TO HONG KONG ISLAND. THE SECTION OF THE ROUTE WHICH

USED AS A PRINCIPAL ACCESS TO THE AIRPORT WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED

WOULD

GOVERNMENT.

BY

BE

THE WEST KOWLOON, EXPRESSWAY PROJECT TOGETHER WITH KOWLOON RECLAMATION WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN-HOUSE.

BE

THE WEST

TO TIE IN WITH THE COMMISSIONING OF THE FIRST RUNWAY, IT NECESSARY ΤΟ BUILD PART OF THE WEST KOWLOON EXPRESSWAY RECLAMATION AND ON PILES.

WOULD BEFORE

A FEASIBILITY STUDY WAS IN HAND FOR THE WEST HARBOUR CROSSING WITH A VIEW ALSO TO PRIVATISATION. THE CROSSING WOULD LIKELY TUNNEL

BE A BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO PROVIDE VERTICAL CLEARANCE SHIPPING IN THE HARBOUR.

FOR

WERE

MR KWOK POINTED OUT THAT ALL THE HIGHWAY PROJECTS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED SIX MONTHS AHEAD OF THE COMMISSIONING OF THE FIRST RUNWAY OF THE AIRPORT. THE COST OF MAJOR AIRPORT-RELATED IN TOTAL WAS ABOUT US$2.3 BILLION.

HIGHWAY

LINKS

AS FOR THE RAIL LINK, IT WOULD RUN IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH AND TO BE DESIGNED TO TAKE A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF PASSENGER TRAFFIC. IN-TOWN CHECK-IN FACILITIES WOULD BE PROVIDED.

THE

THE

/"A VERY