XN000022-1996-03-18 — Page 9

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Rising 45 metres above the sea, the Kap Shui Mun Bridge's 430-metre main span comprises a total of 39 prefabricated segments made of steel and concrete. Each segment measures 8.7 metres long, 35.7 metres wide and 7.7 metres high, as well as weighing 500 tonnes.

"It is most encouraging that the contractor has successfully completed all the lifting operations on schedule, a major step towards completing the bridge on time next year," said the Project Director of the Lantau Fixed Crossing Project Management Office of the Highways Department, Mr C K Lau.

The main span steel and concrete composite segments were fabricated in Shekou, China, and precast on site. After precasting, the segments were taken to the Kap Shui Mun Channel by a purpose-built barge, lifted by specially designed cranes and then connected at bridge deck level.

Following completion of the two side spans, erection of the main span started in late May last year with segments lifted by cantilevering from each side span towards the middle.

Before the "final closure" segment was lifted into position in the middle of the main span today, 19 segments have been erected on each side of the span.

The Kap Shui Mun Bridge has an overall length of 820 metres with a cable- stayed main span of 430 metres with a minimum clear vertical headroom of 45 metres.

Contract works on the $1.6-billion Kap Shui Mun Bridge started in December in 1992 for completion in May 1997.

Together with the Ma Wan Viaduct and the suspension Tsing Ma Bridge, the Kap Shui Mun Bridge forms the Lantau Fixed Crossing on the 34-kilometre highway network of the Airport Core Programme linking the new airport at Chek Lap Kok and the Tung Chung new town to urban Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

On completion next year, both bridges will be the longest of their kind in the world carrying both road and railway traffic.

"We anticipate that the last lifting for the main span of the Tsing Ma Bridge will also be carried out shortly. That will be another significant milestone for the Lantau Fixed Crossing. After that, the railway works can be completed and the electrical works and other finishing works can commence," said Mr Lau.

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