XN000022-1994-03-31 — Page 10

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1994

THE

BEGINNING AT 6 AM, THE DRUM WAS LOADED ONTO A BARGE. THE BARGE THEN MOVED SLOWLY ACROSS THE CHANNEL, UNREELING THE WIRE INTO THE WATER AND ONTO THE SEABED UNTIL IT BEACHED TSING YE ISLAND. THERE REMAINING LENGTH OF THE WIRE WAS UNLOADED, LIFTED OVER THE TOP OF OF THE TSING YI TOWER LEGS AND ATTACHED TO ANOTHER WINCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TOWER BASE.

ONE

DRIVEN ΤΟ TIGHTEN THE WAS PULLED TO ITS

THE WINCHES ON BOTH ISLANDS WERE THEN WIRE, WHICH EMERGED GLISTENING FROM THE SEA AND FINAL POSITION.

+

THE 16 MM WIRE ONLY AS THICK AS A THUMB

NOW HANGS IN A GRACEFUL CURVE BETWEEN THE TWC TOWERS WITH IT'S LOWEST POINT ABOUT 80 METRES CLEAR OF THE WATER, WELL ABOVE SHIP MAST HEIGHT.

THE WHOLE OPERATION TODAY TOOK ABOUT FIVE-AND-A-HALF DURING WHICH THE CHANNEL WAS CLOSED TO MARINE TRAFFIC.

HOURS,

THE CATWALKS ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN JUNE, ENABLING THE SPINNING OF THE MAIN CABLES TO COMMENCE IN JULY.

THE TSING MA BRIDGE, WHICH WILL BE ON SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETTON IN 1997, WILL HAVE A SPAN OF 1,377 METRES MAKING IT THE LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE IN THE WORLD CARRYING BOTH ROAD AND RATI, TRAFFIC.

IT WILL BE A SPECTACULAR NEW LANDMARK FOR HONG KONG, WITH THE TOWERS STANDING 206 METRES HICH.

THE BRIDGE IS BUILT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT AND WILL FORM PART OF THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING

ONE OF THE 10 PROJECTS IN THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME,

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AIRPORT RAILWAY AREA PLAN

THE GOVERNMENT TODA) (THURSDAY) PUBLISHED THE ALIGNMENT OF THE AIRPORT RAILWAY, FROM THE NEW AIRPORT AT CREK LAP KOK AND TUNG CHUNG NEW TOWN TO KOWLOON AND HONG KONG ISLAND UNDER THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY (LAND RESUMPTION AND RELATED PROVISIONS) ORDINANCE.

THE ALIGNMENT WILL HUN ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF LANTAU, ACROSS TO TSING YI VIA THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING AND ALONG THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION TO HONG KONG ISLAND.

A SPOKESMAN SAID THE ALIGNMENT WAS PUBLISHED TO INFORM THE PUBLIC AND PROPUR THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED BY IT OF WHERE THE RAILWAY WOULD BE BUILT.

HK POINTED OUT THAT THE ALIGNMENT WOULD BE MAINLY ON RECLAIMED LAND AND VERY Eri EXISTING DEVELOPED AREAS WOULD BE AFFECTED.

OF THE KAILWAY KINANCING

HE STRESSED HOWPVRE THAT THE CONSTRUCTION WOULD NOT BEGIN UNTIL AGRERENT BAD BEEN REACHED ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PROJECT.

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