No_4_April_1968 — Page 4

Four companies submitted tenders for the work, The Promvivat's being the lowest at 8.116,319 baht. work is scheduled to be completed within 120 days.

Resettlement housing standards to be raised

STEPS towards the conversion of Hong Kong's resettlement programme, begun as an emergency mea- sure, into something more normal, acceptable and permanent are to be taken by Government. The Gov- ernor. Sir David Trench, addressing the Budget Meet- ing last month, said that one such move was the ap- proval given this year for a new design of a block in which the majority of the space would be allocated on the basis of 35 sq. ft. for each adult.

"Another step is the possibility we are consider- ing of converting some of the blocks of the older estates into self-contained flats," he added.

During the year the population in resettlement estates and cottage areas increased by 114,000. The millionth settler was installed in October last year. The number of persons moved from the more crowded es- tates to more spacious quarters rose from 16,700 to 18.600.

Sir David said that new estates under construc- tion or planned for 1968 would provide for a similar number of people as last year, but thereafter, as re- commended by the Housing Board, it was proposed that the emphasis would move somewhat more towards Government low cost housing.

In the aided low-cost housing sector, he added, the Housing Authority plans to provide 14,700 flats in the next six years, while the Housing Society has a programme of 6,000 flats.

Start soon on Taiwan's southern cross-island highway

DESIGN Work has been completed for Taiwan's southern cross-island highway. Surveying along the route will be finished within the next two months and construction work is scheduled to begin in July and be completed in three years. The total construction cost is estimated at NT$120 million.

Plans prepared by the Taiwan Highway Bureau provide for the highway to run from Yuching in Tainan on the west to Haijui in Taitung on the east. The route will be through Chutouchi. Chiahsien, Liukuei and Paolai, up the Laolung River and through Fushing and Meishan to Kuanshan Pass at an elevation of 2,900 metres, then down the New Wulu River, through Litao and Hsinwu to Haijui, where it is joined with the Taitung-Hualien Highway.

Total length of the highway will be 181.5 km. Some 14 bridges of various types will be constructed along the highway, which except for a section between Yuching and Chutouchi, is over a completely new route.

Ferry piers completed

NEW ferry piers on the Wanchai reclamation, Hong Kong, were opened last month. The east pier cost HK$2 million and took two years to build, while the smaller west pier was completed in ten months at a cost of HK$2 million. Both were designed by the Port Works Division of the Civil Engineering Office, PWD.

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The east pier is 255 ft. long and 130 ft. wide at

East ferry pier at Wanchai

the entrance. The single berth west pier is 41 ft. long and 130 ft. wide.

A new ferry concourse provides setting down and picking up facilities for taxis and private cars immedi- ately in front of the ferry entrance. There are also four bus platforms and a taxi stand.

Balcony space needed by North Point flyover

A NEW flyover to be constructed at North Point, Hong Kong, will necessitate the removal of 27 bal- conies on the facades of property along Tsing Fung Street.

The flyover is a further stage of the Waterfront Road project, designed to speed traffic between Cen- tral District and North Point. Some 1,500 ft. long.

it will run along Tsing Fung Street, linking Waterfront Road with King's Road.

It will be 25 ft. wide and 30 ft. high at its zenith. Government has stated that for design reasons and be- cause Tsing Fung Street is irregular in width, the fly- over cannot simply run down the centre of the street but has to be built nearer to one side than the other. This will bring it very close to some balconies on one side, although on the other side it will be 18 ft. from the buildings.

The Government received two objections to the construction of the flyover on the grounds that it would affect the objectors' premises. It decided however that the present proposals were the most satisfactory solu- tion to the problem with the least inconvenience to the public and that there was no other reasonable line for the flyover.

The Director of Public Works has been authorised to determine whether in any particular case public funds should be used to alleviate any hardships which may arise from the removal of the balconies.

Consultants to plan Singapore Airport expansion

THE London consultants, Scott Wilson, Kirkpatrick and Partners, have been appointed to prepare a master plan for Singapore Airport.

Proposals for future expansion are expected to in- clude additional offices for the administration unit and for airline companies and an extension of the air cargo terminal. More parking aprons and an extension of the public concourse, arrival and departure channels are also expected.

Work is progressing ahead of schedule on the existing extension scheme at the airport. The runway is being lengthened from 9,000 ft. to 11,000 ft. and the taxiway from 8,000 ft. to 11,000 ft.

Far East BUILDER, April 1968.