XN000022-1997-03-19 — Page 53

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Smithfield Extension

Following is a question by the Hon Yeung Sum and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport, Mr Gordon Siu, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

The Sai Ying Pun section of Route 7, which connects Central District, Western District and the Island portal of the Western Harbour Crossing (WHC), has recently been opened to traffic and the WHC will also be opened ahead of schedule in April this year. However, the Smithfield Extension in Kennedy Town, which serves to divert some of the vehicles bound for Southern District via the WHC, will be completed six months behind schedule. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:

Reply:

(a)

(b)

(c)

Mr President,

of the reasons for the delay in the completion of the Smithfield Extension;

whether the Government has assessed if, before the completion of the Smithfield Extension, traffic congestion is expected to develop in Western District as a result of the opening of the Sai Ying Pun section of Route 7 in February and the WHC in April this year; if so, what interim measures will be adopted to relieve traffic congestion in the district; and

whether the Government will consider separating the Kennedy Town- Aberdeen section of Route 7 from the Green Island Reclamation Project, and instead using alternative construction methods such as building flyovers, excavating tunnels or cutting hill slopes, so that Route 7 can be completed as early as possible?

The completion of the Smithfield Extension project has been delayed by a particularly complicated grave clearance exercise. The site for the project required the clearance of 55 graves situating on Crown Land. We had expected to effect the clearance by May 1995 but in the process encountered strong objections to the clearance work. Subsequent negotiations with the objectors over resiting arrangements were protracted. The site was eventually cleared and made available to the contractors only in February 1996 and this has caused a corresponding delay to the overall construction programme.