XN000022-1995-05-11 — Page 18

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It is expected to occur at a frequency of one day per week for about 11 months and there will be one back up day allocated per week to provide an alternative if there are delays or other reasons why the allocated day cannot be used.

Lifting operations are expected to be carried out between 8.30 am and 4.30 pm on week days only.

Mr Lambourn noted: "Traffic which normally uses the Kap Shui Mun Channel will be diverted to use the Ma Wan Channel. This is not expected to create any marine traffic problems."

He added that there would be two Marine Department and two Marine Police launches on site to assist marine traffic to divert to the Ma Wan Channel.

A trial will be carried out on May 15 and this will involve a barge anchoring on one side of the Kap Shui Mun Channel but will not require the channel to be closed.

For the Tsing Ma Bridge, starting in the middle of the bridge span a barge transporting the deck units will anchor in the channel under the location where the unit is to be fitted to the bridge.

The anchoring pattern will be four anchors arranged in a 250 metre square configuration.

"Since this will only cause a partial obstruction to the about 1,200 metre wide Ma Wan Channel, the channel will remain open for marine traffic, but large ocean- going vessels under pilotage will be affected for the first two months of lifting operations for the Tsing Ma Bridge," said Mr Lambourn,

These operations will be for two days per week for about six months. Lifting operations which must start at low water will be carried out according to tidal conditions which may mean that either the start or completion will not be possible in daylight.

This will affect vessels calling at the Pearl River ports of Chi Wan, Ma Wan and Shekou plus coal deliveries to Tap Shek Kok Power Station.

There may be some rearrangements nccessary for vessel movements associated with the floating dry docks at North Lantau and oil tankers calling at Nga Ying Chau on Tsing Yi Island.

Mr Lambourn said: "The arrangements are not expected to create problems."