XN000022-1993-05-22 — Page 2

SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1993

FIRST STEEL TRUSS FOR TSING MA BRIDGE ARRIVES HK

THE FIRST OF VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE TSING MA BRIDGE WHICH ARE BEING FABRICATED OVERSEAS HAS ARRIVED IN HONG KONG.

IT IS ONE OF THE

"HORIZONTAL BARS" OF THE

EIGHT STEEL TWO TOWERS

WHICH WEIGH UP TO 185 TONNES EACH, ARE

TRUSSES THAT WILL FORM THE OF THE BRIDGE. THE TRUSSES,

BEING MANUFACTURED IN CHINA

AND THE FIRST ONE WAS TRANSPORTED FROM SHEKOU BY BARGE.

THE TWO BRIDGE TOWERS, ONE ON TSING YI AND THE OTHER OFF MA WAN, WILL BE REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES RISING 200 METRES ABOVE EACH TOWER BASE.

EACH TOWER WILL HAVE A PAIR OF TOWER LEGS WHICH WILL BR CONSTRUCTED BY A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF CONCRETING CALLED SLIPFORMING AND THE LEGS WILL BE CONNECTED BY FOUR HORIZONTAL PORTAL BRACES.

THE STEEL TRUSSES WILL BE INSTALLED BETWEEN THE TOWER LEGS AS SLIPFORMING TAKES PLACE. AS CONSTRUCTION PROCEEDS, THE TRUSSES WILL BE ENCASED IN REINFORCED CONCRETE AND PRESTRESSED то THE TOWERS ΤΟ FORM THE PORTAL BRACES.

EACH PORTAL BRACE WILL MEASURE 30 METRES LONG, SEVEN TO 12 METRES HIGH AND 4.2 METRES WIDE. THE FIRST PORTAL BRACE WILL BE LOCATED 50 METRES ABOVE THE TOWER BASE, WITH THE OTHER THREE AT 102 METRES, 147 METRES AND 187 METRES ABOVE THE BASE, FORMING A GIANT FOUR-STEP LADDER.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE TSING YI TOWER WILL START WILL TAKE ABOUT THREE MONTHS TO COMPLETE. THIS WILL THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MA WAN TOWER.

NEXT MONTH AND

BE FOLLOWED BY

TSING MA BRIDGE, PART OF THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING, IS AN INTEGRAL ELEMENT OF THE TRANSPORT NETWORK IN THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME LINKING THE NEW TOWN ON NORTH LANTAU AND THE AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK WITH THE URBAN AREAS IN KOWLOON AND HONG KONG.

APPLICATIONS FOR YOUTH PROJECT GRANTS INVITED

LOCAL YOUTH GROUPS ARE INVITED TO APPLY FOR GRANTS UNDER THE "OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH SCHEME" (OYS) OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT TO CARRY OUT COMMUNITY PROJECTS PLANNED ON THEIR OWN.

THE PROJECTS SHOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS TO THE PERSONAL AND SOCIAL GROWTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID.

THEY MAY BE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS, REHABILITATION AND ELDERLY SERVICES, COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMMES, OR RURAL AREAS AND DEPRIVED AREA SERVICES.

/"THE PROJECTS