ENG-1993 — Page 281

TRANSPORT

The Yuen Long to Tuen Mun Eastern Corridor was completed in July to provide an eastern continuation of Route 2. This corridor is a dual, two-lane trunk road along the eastern side of Castle Peak Road, connecting with the Yuen Long Southern Bypass, construction of which started in early 1992 and is scheduled for completion in late 1994.

To improve cross-border traffic and access to the northwest New Territories, the country park section of Route 3 is under planning, for completion by late 1998. It will be a dual, three-lane carriageway, connecting Ting Kau with Yuen Long. The private sector will be invited to build the section from Au Tau to Ting Kau under a franchise arrangement.

New Airport Access

The relocation of the airport to Chek Lap Kok requires additional road links to serve the new airport and its supporting community. Work is underway on the major highway projects which will cater for airport traffic, including the Western Harbour Crossing, the West Kowloon Expressway, the Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi sections of Route 3, the Lantau Fixed Crossing and the North Lantau Expressway.

The Airport Core Programme also includes a rail link, which will provide both a fast and efficient train service to the new airport and a domestic service to bring relief to the Nathan Road Corridor of the Mass Transit Railway. The rail link will, in addition, serve new developments on the West Kowloon Reclamation and in Tung Chung new town, and provide a third cross harbour rail link.

For more details, see Chapter 16.

Environmental Impact of Road Construction

The environmental impact of new road projects is carefully appraised at the planning stage by the Highways Department. Where practical, measures such as landscaping works, artificial contouring of surrounding hillsides and installation of noise barriers are considered. Measures taken include the application of pre-cast decorative concrete panels to the retaining wall of the Gascoigne Road Flyover project, and the installation of an enclosed-type noise barrier in a section of the Tate's Cairn Tunnel approach road near Richland Gardens in Kowloon Bay. Where necessary, consideration is also given to providing air-conditioning units and double-glazing in domestic premises where noise levels cannot be brought within the required standard by other means.

Road Opening Works

The highways provide space to install various utility services, such as water and gas mains, sewers, and electricity and telephone cables, besides serving as carriageways for vehicles and pedestrians. To cope with the demand resulting from the rapid development of Hong Kong, utility companies often have to excavate the carriageways and footpaths to maintain services by renewal, repair and enlargement of pipes, cables and ducts. On average, 170 new road openings are started every working day. These are co-ordinated and controlled by the Highways Department through a permit system, under which utility companies are required to carry out works to a required standard and in a limited period of time. In order to co-ordinate these works and to minimise traffic disruption, the department holds monthly Road Opening Co-ordinating Committee meetings with the utility companies, police and the Transport Department. Consideration is being given to improving the management of road openings, to reduce their duration and frequency.

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