1 Construction of bus interchanges on Tuen Mun Road gazetted
Hong Kong Government, 16 January 2009

The Government published a notice in the Gazette today (January 16) on a proposal to construct bus interchanges on Tuen Mun Road to improve the bus network.

Proposed works include construction of a Kowloon-bound bus interchange and a Tuen Mun bound bus interchange on Tuen Mun Road with associated road works; modification of the existing road junctions at Castle Peak Road-Tai Lam; construction of a footbridge with associated staircase and lifts, and widening of the existing vehicular bridge near Tai Lam Kok; modification of the existing seawall near Tai Lam Kok; and ancillary works such as slope, drainage, landscaping and utility works.

Some sections of the existing carriageways, footpaths and underpass will be temporarily or permanently closed.

The construction work is scheduled to start in April 2010 and take about 36 months to complete.

The plans and scheme of the works are available for public inspection at the following government offices during office hours:

(i) Central and Western District Office, Public Enquiry Service Centre, Unit 5, Ground Floor, The Center, 99 Queen's Road Central;

(ii) Tuen Mun District Office, 2nd Floor, Tuen Mun Government Offices, 1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun; and

(iii) District Lands Office, Tuen Mun, 6th Floor, Tuen Mun Government Offices, 1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun.

Any person who wishes to object to the proposed works or the use, or both, should write to the Secretary for Transport and Housing, 16th Floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Hong Kong, on or before March 17, 2009.

2 3,000 jobs on track with Western line
Timothy Chui, The Standard 16 January 2009

Construction of the new West Island Line is expected to create 3,000 jobs, with MTR Corp hoping to break ground in the middle of this year.
The three-kilometer extension is forecast to cost HK$8.9 billion with a HK$6 billion cash injection from the government.

To be completed by 2013 or 2014, the line will serve 90 percent of those living in Western, adding 100,000 more passengers to the network from the district's 200,000 population.

Full access thoroughfares and dedicated entrance lifts will be the hallmarks of the West Island Line's three new stations.

Project design manager Stephen Hamill yesterday said the innovations would match the entrance layouts with the district's steep topography.

With entrances at low-lying, middle and higher main roads such as Des Voeux Road, Queen's Road West, Bonham and Pok Fu Lam roads, planners will introduce high capacity lifts at entrances to bring passengers down to street and concourse levels rapidly, he said.

With lower areas served by conventional escalator entrances, Hamill said the public would be free to traverse concourses and exits without entering paid areas.

"The public will be able to make full use of the station concourses and exits during the middle of summer and climb the district's hills in the air-conditioned comfort of the MTR stations without paying," he said.

High capacity lifts for 25 to 28 people will take passengers to and from concourse levels in under 20 seconds.

With four dedicated high-capacity lifts serving the Bonham Road and Second Street exits, the station will also have exits at the Sai Woo Lane playground, Des Voeux Road West, Centre Street Cooked Food Center and Ki Ling Lane. The University Station will have exits on Belcher's Street, Hill Road, Queen's Road West, Pok Fu Lam Road and Hong Kong University.