Temporary traffic and transport arrangements for tram track renewal works in Wan Chai District from this Friday

     The Transport Department (TD) today (March 26) reminded the public that to facilitate tram track renewal work at Hennessy Road in Wan Chai District, parts of the traffic lanes of Hennessy Road near Tin Lok Lane will be temporarily closed from about 10am this Friday (March 30) to 11.59pm next Thursday (April 5).
 
     To facilitate the above works, Citybus routes No. 72, 72A, 96 and 592 will be diverted via Leighton Road and Pennington Street starting from their first departures on March 30 until about 11.59pm on April 5, before resuming their original routings. In connection with the above bus diversions, temporary bus stop arrangements will be implemented for the affected bus routes.
 
     In addition, the Tin Lok Lane tram stop (No. 112) will be temporarily relocated about 15 metres backward.
 
     Appropriate traffic signs and road markings will be erected on site to guide motorists. The public transport operators will display notices to advise passengers of the above temporary arrangements.
 
     The TD anticipates that the traffic at the above road sections will be relatively busy. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience in case of traffic congestion. Public transport commuters are advised to pay attention to the arrangements of route diversions and suspension or relocation of stops. Members of the public are advised to be alert to the latest traffic news through the media or the department’s website (www.td.gov.hk).
 



News story: Porton Down scientists on brink of titanium revolution

Titanium is as strong as steel and half the weight – but around ten times the cost. It is notoriously difficult and expensive to make which limits its wider use.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Our Armed Forces use titanium in everything from cutting-edge nuclear submarines and fighter jets through to life-changing replacement limbs – but production time and costs mean we haven’t always used it. This ground-breaking method is not only faster and cheaper but could see a huge expansion of titanium parts and equipment throughout the military. It is a clear example of how our world-class scientists are working behind the scenes to help our Armed Forces as well as bringing prosperity and security to Britain.

Titanium’s high strength, light weight and corrosion resistance sees it widely used in defence, in military aircraft and submarines, but its high production costs make it difficult to justify in all but essential areas.

Dstl has invested almost £30,000 in the new research project at the University of Sheffield, which led to the development of the new ground-breaking manufacturing process.

The announcement comes as Dstl supports the Defence Procurement Research Technology and Exportability (DPRTE), which takes place tomorrow [MARCH 27].

The pioneer of this revolutionary technique, Dr Nick Weston said:

FAST-forge is a disruptive technology that enables near net shape components to be produced from powder or particulate in two simple processing steps. Such components have mechanical properties equivalent to forged product. For titanium alloys, FAST-forge will provide a step change in the cost of components, allowing use in automotive applications in automotive applications such as powertrain and suspension systems.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down has revolutionised the production of titanium by reducing the 40 stage process down to just two steps and potentially halving the cost. Crown copyright.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) in Porton Down has revolutionised the production of titanium by reducing the 40 stage process down to just two steps and potentially halving the cost. Crown copyright.

So far, small-scale trials have been carried out, but a new large-scale fast furnace facility jointly funded by Dstl and Kennametal Manufacturing (UK) Ltd has been built and will enable larger components to be produced for testing.

Matthew Lunt the Principal Scientist for Materials Science at Dstl said:

We’re really excited about this innovation, which could cut the production cost of titanium parts by up to 50%. With this reduction in cost, we could use titanium in submarines, where corrosion resistance would extend the life, or for light-weight requirements like armoured vehicles.




West Berkshire and Wokingham receive extra money to tackle potholes

Today the government has announced an extra £467,317 for West Berkshire to deal with road damage, and £282,055 for Wokingham Borough. This is welcome and I look forward to early use of this money by the Councils, as there are plenty of potholes in need of tarmac. I had raised this with Ministers during the bad weather.




Recording of the week: the four rooms of creativity

This week’s selection comes from David Govier, Oral History Archivist. Why do a corporate oral history? The late Wally Olins, co-founder of Wolff Olins, explains his mixed motivations in wanting to set up an oral history of the company – from an urge for immortality, to the representative nature of…




Weekly Road Report – West End Ward #dundeewestend

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL – WEEKLY ROAD REPORT

REPORT FOR WEST END WARD – WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 26 MARCH 2018

South Union Street/South Marketgait at Dundee Railway Station – northbound nearside lane closure from 9.30am for 7 weeks for footway works.

Riverside Drive/South Union Street at Dundee Railway Station – off-peak (9.30am – 3.30pm) east/northbound nearside lane closure for up to one week for footway works.

Bellfield Street (Hawkhill to No 24) – closed from Monday 26 March for 5 days for sewer works.

Lochee Road (at Benvie Steps) – temporary traffic lights on Wednesday 28 March for Scottish Water sewer repair.

Perth Road (Invergowrie Drive to Invergowrie roundabout) – off-peak temporary traffic lights for one week for street lighting works.

Forthcoming Roadworks

Glamis Road (at Blackness Road) – off-peak temporary traffic lights on Friday 6 April for Scottish Water ironwork repair.