TRANSPORT
The construction of the Hung Hom Bypass and the Princess Margaret Road Link started in October 1995 and is scheduled for completion in late 1998. It will be an elevated highway built on Hung Hom Bay Reclamation, including the 1.3-kilometre Hung Hom Bypass from Salisbury Road to Hung Hom Road and the 1.2-kilometre Princess Margaret Road Link connecting the Hung Hom Bypass to Princess Margaret Road.
To improve cross-border traffic and access to the north-western New Territories, the construction of the country park section of Route 3 started in May 1995 under a build, operate and transfer franchise scheduled for completion in late 1998. It will be a dual, three-lane carriageway, connecting Ting Kau with Au Tau in Yuen Long.
The construction of additional climbing lanes in the most congested uphill sections of Tuen Mun Road started in May 1994. Climbing lanes with a total length of 8.5- kilometre will be constructed at Sam Shing Hui, So Kwun Wat, Tai Lam and Ting Kau. When completed, in July 1996, they will relieve the traffic in Tuen Mun Road.
New Airport Access
Work is progressing well on all major highway projects related to the new airport at Chek Lap Kok. These include 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 a fast and efficient train service to the new airport and a domestic service to relieve congestion in the Nathan Road Corridor of the Mass Transit Railway. The rail link will also serve new developments on the West Kowloon Reclamation and in Tung Chung new town. (For further 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 decorative wall panels to the retaining wall of the Kowloon Park Drive Flyover project, and the installation of a noise barrier in the Tate's Cairn Tunnel approach road near Richland Gardens, in Kowloon Bay. Air-conditioning units and double-glazing are provided in domestic premises where noise levels cannot be brought within the required standard by any other means.
Road Opening Works
Besides carrying vehicles and pedestrians, the highways also accommodate utility services such as water and gas mains, sewers, and electricity and telephone cables. To cope with the increasing demand for utility services and maintenance work, utility companies often have to excavate the carriageways and footpaths to lay more pipes, cables and ducts, and to carry out repair work. On average, there were about 200 new road openings on each working day in 1995. Road openings are co-ordinated and controlled by the Highways Department through a permit system, under which utility companies are required to carry out work to a required standard and within a time limit. To co-ordinate work more effectively and to minimise traffic disruption, the department holds monthly Road Opening Co-ordinating Committee meetings with
231
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.