XN000022-1993-12-20 — Page 10

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1993

THE NEW YAU MA TEI TYPHOON SHELTER BECAME OPERATIONAL IN EARLY OCTOBER LAST YEAR. THE REPROVISIONED YAU MA TEI PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREA STARTED OPERATIONS INSIDE THE NEW SHELTER ALONG WITH LAND ACCESS IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.

SUFFICIENT RECLAMATION WAS COMPLETED TO ALLOW THE WEST KOWLOON EXPRESSWAY CONTRACTS TO START IN AUGUST THIS YEAR, BOTH IN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH.

ROADS,

WORK IS NOW UNDERWAY ON SITE OFFICES, TEMPORARY ACCESS PREPARATION OF THE CASTING YARD FOR THE NORTH SECTION OF THE EXPRESSWAY, EARTHWORK, GROUND IMPROVEMENT WORKS AND FOUNDATIONS.

LAND FOR THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING LANDFALL WAS ALSO HANDED OVER IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR TO THE CONTRACTOR, WHO HAS CONSTRUCTED ITS SITE OFFICES AND MOBILISED CONSTRUCTION FORCES AFTER THE COMPLETION OF SITE CLEARANCE.

THE FIRST LAND FOR THE CAUSEWAY TO THE NEW CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE MARKET APPEARED ABOVE SEA LEVEL IN DECEMBER 1991.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE MARKET STARTED SEVERAL MONTHS LATER AND WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR, JUST 30 MONTHS FROM ITS INITIAL DESIGN.

"THIS PROBABLY MADE IT THE FASTEST BUILDING OF ITS SIZE 'AND COMPLEXITY TO HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN HONG KONG, ADDED MR AUSTIN.

ALSO IN SEPTEMBER, THE CHEUNG SHA WAN SHIPYARDS WERE MOVED TO

THEIR NEW SITES AFTER 12 MONTHS OF CONSTRUCTION.

JUST A MONTH LATER, THE CHINA RESOURCES COMPANY PIER AND TRANSIT SHED WERE ALSO RELOCATED AND STARTED BUSINESS AT THE NEW SITE NEAR THE CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE MARKET COMPLEX.

MR AUSTIN POINTED OUT THAT THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION PROJECT ALSO INCLUDED DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE WORKS, WHICH WOULD ULTIMATELY REDUCE THE RISK OF FLOODING IN THE WEST KOWLOON HINTERLAND AND IMPROVE THE WATER QUALITY IN THE AREA.

THREE OUT OF FOUR DRAINAGE CONTRACTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED SO

FAR, TOGETHER WITH THE FIRST SEWERAGE NETWORK PACKAGE WHICH HAS JUST STARTED IN NOVEMBER 1993, HE SAID.

EVERY EFFORT HAS ALSO BEEN MADE TO MINIMISE THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THE RECLAMATION WORKS, SAID MR AUSTIN.

THESE INCLUDE THE USE OF QUIET PLANT AND NOISE BARRIERS, THE CONTROL OVER DUST IMPACT BY WATERING EXPOSED SITE AREAS, INCLUDING COVERING WITH BITUMEN SPRAY IN CRITICAL PLACES, AND THE USE OF WHEEL AND VEHICLE WASHING.

"WITH STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF CURRENT LEGISLATION AND CLOSE SITE SUPERVISION, SUCH MITIGATION MEASURES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE NOISE AND DUST PROBLEMS AS A RESULT OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK, " HE SAID.

/FURTHERMORE, AN

Page 10Page 11