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The traffic pressure at Tsuen King Circuit (TKC), Tsuen Wan, will be greatly reduced upon the completion of the new Sha Tsui Road Flyover.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the opening of the flyover today (July 28), the Director of the Territory Development, Mr Wong Hung-kin, said that the new flyover would provide an additional vehicular access to TKC.

Noting that all traffic at present to and from this area has to pass through the junction of Castle Peak Road (CPR) and the eastern end of TKC, Mr Wong said, "the flyover would not only improve the traffic flow at the junction, but would also allow emergency vehicles to reach TKC more expeditiously in the case of a fire or other accidents."

The Director also said another important aspect of the project was the construction of a footbridge across CPR.

"This footbridge is required to provide a proper pedestrian crossing when the existing section of CPR between TKC and Tuen Mun Road is upgraded to a trunk road under the forthcoming Route 5 Extension project," Mr Wong said.

Turning to the environmental implications of this project, the Director said an Environmental Impact Assessment had been conducted and both direct and indirect noise mitigation measures adopted to minimise possible noise nuisance.

The direct noise mitigation measures include noise-reducing road surfacing material, roadside noise barriers and road covers. The indirect noise mitigation measures include improved window installation and air-conditioning for the affected premises.

The construction of the flyover, the footbridge and the implementation of direct noise mitigation measures, at a cost of about $140 million, took three years to complete.

End/Friday, July 28, 2000

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