ENG-1964 — Page 216

COMMUNICATIONS

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Improvements to the primary road network in the New Ter- ritories included several sections of dual-carriageway on Castle Peak Road. A number of rural feeder roads were widened and improved.

A new Waterfront Road linking the Central District of Hong Kong with North Point reached an advanced stage of planning; it includes provision for connections to a possible cross-harbour tunnel. The improvement and extension of street lighting included the installation of glare-free cutoff-type lamps in Nathan Road which were the first of their kind in the Colony.

Typhoons caused a large number of road blockages from fallen scaffoldings and trees, landslides and flooding. Several serious washouts occurred while roads in the Kwun Tong resettlement estate were blocked by a large slide of mud washed down from a site formation scheme. Total damage to roads was estimated at $3 million and although complete repair would take several months, roads were generally opened to traffic soon after being blocked. Progress on most new works was held up by the typhoons.

The Government Quarry on the mainland closed in June and an existing quarry at Diamond Hill was taken over for production of high quality aggregate for road-making materials; modern quar- rying, crushing and mixing plant is being installed. The Government Quarry on Hong Kong Island is also to be improved by the use of deep-drilling equipment.

CAR PARKS AND METERED ZONES

The new multi-storey car park in Tsim Sha Tsui, the first in Kowloon and the largest so far in the Colony, was completed in December. Apart from accommodation for 912 cars on eight floors, the ground and mezzanine floors are to be used for shops, and the top floor for the district telephone exchange. The Urban Council now manage four multi-storey and three temporary parks with a combined capacity for 3,161 cars. All were well pat- ronized during the year, and facilities were often taxed to the limit. An average of 2,762 cars each day used the parks. At the multi-storey car parks, the charges are calculated on an hourly basis and range from a (day-time) minimum of a dollar up to $7.20 for 24 hours (week-days); the charges at the temporary parks