4.
4.1
SUMMARY
The provision of direct
links between the EHC and Taikoo
Shing provide both benefits and disadvantages.
4.2
In traffic management terms, the benefits relate to the relief provided to the IEC interchanges and approach roads at Healthy Street, Sai Wan Ho and Kornhill. However the scale of this relief is not large and the reserve capacities at individual junctions are not dramatically affected. In fact, the projected
capacity shortfalls and the proposed remedial measures at the Tai Hong Street/Shau Kei Wan Road junction and the Road A/Road B/King's Road flyover junction, will occur and are required regardless of the links between the EHC and Taikoo Shing.
4.3
The direct links reduce vehicle
mileage for Taikoo Shing traffic making cross harbour journeys via the EHC. Journey time savings for Taikoo Shing traffic using the EHC are estimated to be of the order of 5 minutes comparing Option A with the direct access of Option B. However, it should be noted that because the down ramp from Taikoo Shing into the EHC would operate as a give way delays will occur. It should also be noted that while the traffic using the direct exit from the EHC to Taikoo Shing is virtually all Taikoo Shing traffic the direct entry attracts traffic from areas surrounding Taikoo Shing. This highlights the fact that the Sai Wan Ho, Kornhill, and Healthy Street interchanges, all within 1 km of the EHC portal, already provide relatively good access.
4.4
The
The principal disadvantage of the direct links relates to the inability to provide connections that satisfy the required engineering and operational standards. With the direct links there exists the potential for local Taikoo Shing traffic conditions interferring with EHC tunnel operations and vice versa. problems associated with Causeway Bay are very
much a corollary, where in peak periods queues from the CHT interfere with local traffic circulation and congestion in Causeway Bay can tailbacks into the tunnel. In view of this, the provision of EHC approaches via the IEC only is good engineering practice and preserves the functional hierachy of the road network.
cause
D12