ENG-1976 — Page 222

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COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT

Chung. Roads and drainage works for various phases of the public housing estates at Lai King and Kwai Shing were completed, while those at Ha Kwai Chung were well advanced. Detailed planning and investigation was carried out for the improve- ment of Clear Water Bay Road from Pik Uk to Hiram's Highway; the reconstruction of Cedric Bridge at milestone 16 on Castle Peak Road; a grade-separated intersection at the junction of Castle Peak Road and Texaco Road; the Tsuen Wan by-pass scheme from Kwai Chung Road to Texaco Road; and the Tai Wo Tsuen interchange on Castle Peak Road.

Traffic management techniques are applied to make the best use of the existing road network, and during the year schemes for clearways and other restrictions on kerbside activities by certain classes of vehicles were introduced on many of the main traffic routes. Plans were also made for a comprehensive traffic management scheme for the North Point area, the linking of the traffic light signals in King's Road and improvements to the bus and public light bus terminal facilities. In western Kowloon, a computerised traffic control system reached the final stages of installation and testing. When it becomes operational in 1977, it will enable a central computer system to control about 85 sets of traffic signals in this busy commercial and tourist area. It will effect a general improvement in traffic flow and will also provide facilities for automatic collection of traffic data and automatic fault reporting. An important feature of the system is that it will be able to provide priority for fire appliances leaving the four fire stations in the area. In all parts of Hong Kong, good progress was maintained on the installation of traffic light signals at road intersections and pedestrian crossings, and 324 sets were in operation at the end of the year. The street lighting system was also expanded, with 1,559 new lamps being installed during the year.

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In the field of transport planning and surveys, consulting engineers completed their work on the Hong Kong Comprehensive Transport Study. This will assist in forecasting transport requirements up to 1991. Traffic studies were also carried out on the proposed Sha Tin/Tsuen Wan route connection to the Tsuen Wan by-pass, the possible extension of the Kowloon-Canton Railway to Kwai Chung, the western approaches to the airport tunnel road, pedestrian movements in Central District, and the effect of the new railway terminus on pedestrian and vehicular circula- tion at Hung Hom. Planning, investigation and consideration of the economic, practical and environmental implications of the New Territories trunk road system continued.

A multi-disciplined traffic management group set up in 1973 to plan, co-ordinate and implement the traffic management schemes necessary to facilitate the construction of the mass transit railway completed the first stage of its task early in 1976, when traffic diversions were successfully implemented to enable contractors to occupy their sites on Nathan Road, Kowloon, and in Central District on Hong Kong Island.

Road Tunnels

Hong Kong has two road tunnels in operation-the cross-harbour tunnel and the Lion Rock tunnel. Work on a duplicate parallel tunnel at Lion Rock is now in