XN000022-1991-01-24 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1991

ITS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE WAS NOT ONLY TRAFFIC NEEDS OF HONG KONG, BUT ALSO IN MOVING AND FROM ACROSS THE HONG KONG/CHINA BORDER.

TO MEET THE INTERNAL GOODS AND PEOPLE TO

LINK

IN ADDITION TO THE NORTH-SOUTH ROUTE 3 LINK, AN EAST-WEST WAS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE GOOD ACCESS TO AND FROM THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK ON LANTAU ISLAND, MR LEUNG SAID.

THIS LINK COMPRISED THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING AND A NORTH LANTAU EXPRESSWAY A 19 KILOMETRE BRIDGE-AND-ROAD SYSTEM EXTENDING FROM LANTAU TO KOWLOON.

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TSING YI ISLAND PROVIDED A LOGICAL POINT FOR THE NORTH-SOUTH (ROUTE 3) ROUTE TO INTERCHANGE WITH THE EAST-WEST ROUTE.

"THUS, THE TRANSPORT NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE TERRITORY AND THE NEED TO SERVE THE NEW AIRPORT AND PORT ON LANTAU COINCIDE, AND ARE WELDED INTO ONE.

"THE TWO ROUTES TOGETHER PROVIDE A FAST, EFFICIENT AND DIRECT ACCESS SOUTHWARDS TO CONNECT WITH URBAN KOWLOON AND HONG KONG ISLAND, AND NORTHWARDS TO CONNECT WITH THE CHINA BORDER, SHENZHEN AND OTHER PARTS OF GUANGDONG.

MR LEUNG SAID AN AIRPORT RAILWAY WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE PRESENT PLAN FOR TWO REASONS FIRST, THE ROADS WOULD NOT BE ABLE ΤΟ COPE WITH THE TRAFFIC GENERATED BY THE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LONGER TERM.

SECONDLY, THE EXISTING TSUEN WAN LINE OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WAS HEAVILY CONGESTED IN THE KOWLOON CORRIDOR, AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE QUICKLY TO RELIEVE THIS CONGESTION ANYWAY, HE SAID.

THE RAILWAYS, NOW CARRYING ABOUT 29 PER CENT OF THE DAILY PUBLIC TRANSPORT PASSENGER TRIPS, SERVED AN IMPORTANT POLICY OBJECTIVE BY PROVIDING OFF-ROAD MODE OF TRANSPORT WHICH GREATLY REDUCES ROAD CONGESTION.

MR LEUNG ADDED THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO PLAN OTHER ROAD LINKS IN THE LONG TERM.

THESE INCLUDED THE GREEN ISLAND LINK BETWEEN THE FUTURE PORT PENINSULA ON LANTAU AND HONG KONG ISLAND, VIA AN UNDER-SEA TUNNEL AND THE PROPOSED GREEN ISLAND RECLAMATION,

THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE REQUIRED BY 2004-6. BUT WOULD DEPEND VERY MUCH ON THE STATE OF PORT DEVELOPMENT THEN.

IN THE MORE DISTANT FUTURE, A SHAM TSENG LINK BETWEEN LANTAU AND THE WEST COAST OF THE NEW TERRITORIES MIGHT BE REQUIRED BY ABOUT 2011, WHEN THE CAPACITY OF THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING WAS HAVE REACHED SATURATION.

EXPECTED TO

/"WHEN ALL