Tung Chung Road to Close on July 16
Tung Chung Road south of Shek Mun Kap Road on Lantau will be closed to all traffic from 9 am to 5 pm next Monday (July 16) to facilitate the removal of a 20-tonne concrete pump truck which plunged onto a valley off the Road near Tai Tung Shan Service Reservoir on July 9.
According to Police's advice, the towing operation which requires the road closure will be very difficult as the spot is steep and limited in maneuvering space.
Currently, the truck is lying on the top of trees above the deep valley and it might fall further down into Tung Chung Stream.
After exploring different options of towing operation by the Police and the towing agent, including night time operation, an 8-hour operation during daytime is recommended due to the complexity of the environment, and the safety of the personnel to be involved in the operation.
A spokesman for the Transport Department (TD) said during the road closure period, the following bus services operated by New Lantao Bus Co. (1973) Ltd. (NLB) will be suspended:
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route 3 (including 3M) plying between Mui Wo and Tung Chung; |
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route 11 plying between Tai O and Tung Chung; |
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route 23 plying between Ngong Ping and Tung Chung; and |
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route A35 plying between Mui Wo and the Airport. |
NLB has already put up notices at bus stops and termini to advise passengers of the road closure.
During the road closure, Lantau taxis will not be able to operate on Tung Chung Road south of Shek Mun Kap Road.
To cater for the needs of Lantau residents and tourists, the following special transport arrangements will be in place during the closure period:
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New World First Ferry will deploy vessels with larger carrying capacity during the morning peak hours for departures from Mui Wo to Central at the schedule below: | |
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7.50 a.m. (triple-decked ferry) | |
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8.05 a.m. (400-seat catamaran) | |
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8.30 a.m. (400-seat catamaran) | |
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8.45 a.m. (triple-decked ferry) | |
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Discovery Bay Transportation Services Limited will closely monitor the situation and arrange additional sailings for its ferry service between Mui Wo and Discovery Bay to cater for any sudden upsurge in demand. The ferry services, with a fare of $12 per journey, operates at: | |
| From Discovery Bay | From Mui Wo |
| 7.25 a.m. | 7.45 a.m. |
| 11.00 a.m. | 11.20 a.m. |
| 3.00 p.m. | 3.20 p.m. |
| 4.10 p.m. | 4.30 p.m. |
| 6.10 p.m. | 6.30 p.m. |
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Lee Tat Ferry Ltd. will operate a special ferry service, with a total of 12 sailings and a fare of $18 per journey, between Tai O and Tung Chung: |
| From Tai O | From Tung Chung |
| 8.00 a.m. | 9.35 a.m. |
| 10.30 a.m. | 11.15 a.m. |
| 12.00 noon | 12.45 p.m. |
| 1.30 p.m. | 2.15 p.m. |
| 3.00 p.m. | 3.45 p.m. |
| 4.30 p.m. | 5.50 p.m. |
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NLB bus route 37 will be strengthened to carry passengers traveling between Tung Chung ferry pier and Tung Chung MTR Station; |
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Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited will strengthen its residents' services from Discovery Bay to Tung Chung and the Airport subject to passenger demand; and |
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NLB will strengthen its bus routes 1 (Tai O - Mui Wo), 2 (Mui Wo - Ngong Ping), 34 (Shek Mun Kap - Tung Chung) and 37 (Yat Tung Estate - Tung Chung North) to cope with passenger demand. |
The Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre of TD and the District Emergency Control Centre of the Islands District Office will be activated during the closure to closely monitor the situation, co-ordinate traffic and transport arrangements and update the public with the latest information through radio announcements.
Members of the public can obtain information at TD's Website www.info.gov.hk/td or dial 2804 2600 from 8 am to 12 midnight daily for details of the special traffic arrangements. They are also advised to listen to radio announcements for updated information.
End/Friday, July 13, 2001