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COMMUNICATIONS
the dual carriageway through the site of the former Naval Dock- yard connecting Connaught Road and Gloucester Road.
Another major improvement to the Colony's road system will be a mile long tunnel through the Kowloon Hills. This tunnel was started in June 1961 as part of a new water supply scheme. It will be some years before the tunnel will be used as a road link but when this materializes, it will provide an alternative route from Tsim Sha Tsui via Nairn Road to Sha Tin: safer and shorter than the existing route along Nathan Road and Tai Po Road. The new route is expected to satisfy the demands of traffic for the next 15 years.
In the Pat Heung Valley, the first two miles of the new Kam Sheung Road were completed. Eventually this road will give motor transport access to the many scattered farming communities in the area, as well as linking up with the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir Road to the south. Work was well advanced on the extension of the Deep Bay Road to the coast at Lau Fau Shan. Widening of the South Lantau Road between Silver Mine Bay and Cheung Sha was also nearing completion.
In the New Territories, five bridges were completely recon- structed and the decks of seven others were strengthened. Route TWSK, the former military road between Tsuen Wan and Sek Kong, became the complete responsibility of Government on 1st May, and is now carrying a new express bus service to Yuen Long, as well as providing an additional route for private cars to and from the western New Territories.
The total length of all roads in the Colony which are main- tained at public expense by Government is now 516 miles, an increase of 11 miles over the figure for 1960. The total is made up of 191 miles of road on Hong Kong Island, 137 miles in Kowloon and 188 miles in the New Territories.
The Roads Office operates two quarries, producing high quality aggregate for concrete and road-making materials, as well as bituminous mixes for road surfacings. Experiments, including trials using rubber additives, continue, in order to improve the mixes. One of the Government quarries at Hok Yuen is nearing the end of its useful life and plans for its replacement at Yau Tong are well advanced. The quarry section dealt with some 100 applications
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