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TRANSPORT
December 1988. Goods vehicles accounted for 98 and 85 per cent of traffic respectively at the two crossing points, reflecting the rapid growth in trading and industrial links with China. At the end of the year, 21 companies operated tourist coach services across the border. There was also a limited number of private cars, primarily used by businessmen with interests in Shenzhen. Road crossing facilities will be substantially improved by the Lok Ma Chau crossing which will have a direct link into the New Territories Circular Road. The first bridge of the crossing will open in mid-1989 and the second by the end of 1990. This will increase the capacity at the three border crossing points to about 56 000 vehicles per day, compared with 16 000 per day at present.
The Kowloon-Canton Railway also plays an important role in the freight and passenger traffic between Hong Kong and China. Some 1.7 million tonnes of freight (1987: 1.9 million tonnes) and two million head of livestock (1987: 2.1 million) were brought into Hong Kong by rail. Exports to China by rail accounted for 484 000 tonnes, a significant increase over the 374 795 tonnes carried in 1987. Conditions for cross border rail passengers were greatly improved by the new terminal building at Lo Wu which was opened in early 1987. Cross border passenger traffic on the KCR increased from 25.4 million in 1987 to 29.5 million in 1988. A further extension of the terminal is being planned to cope with the anticipated future growth in traffic.
Ferry services between Hong Kong and China also carried more passengers, with a total of eight operators carrying 3.2 million passengers (2.8 million in 1987). The new China ferry terminal in Canton Road was opened on October 31, 1988, providing much improved facilities and sufficient capacity to meet demand beyond the turn of the century.
Road Network
Good progress was made in the road building programme. Some 46 projects are under construction and another 70 are being actively planned by the Highways Department. Expenditure on highway projects was about $1,650 million, while another $350 million was spent on improving and maintaining existing roads.
Hong Kong's roads have one of the highest vehicle densities in the world. At the end of the year, there were 353 863 registered vehicles and only 1 435 kilometres of roads – 392 on Hong Kong Island, 371 in Kowloon and 672 in the New Territories. This high vehicle density, together with the difficult terrain and dense building development in the territory, presents a constant challenge to road builders. Already, there are four major road tunnels, over 590 flyovers and bridges, 338 footbridges and 183 subways to keep vehicles and people on the move.
Strategic Road Network
The principal feature of the strategic road system is Route 1, which runs from Aberdeen on the southern shore of Hong Kong Island to Lok Ma Chau Border Control Point in the northern New Territories, and passing through three tunnels - Aberdeen, Cross Harbour and Lion Rock. On Hong Kong Island, Route 8 runs along the northern shore from the Cross Harbour Tunnel through the Island Eastern Corridor to Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan in the east. Route 7 stretches from the Cross Harbour Tunnel along the north shore, through Gloucester Road, Harcourt Road and Connaught Road to Kennedy Town in the west. Route 2 runs from Kowloon Bay Reclamation Area, through the Airport Tunnel, onto East and West Kowloon Corridors, Tsuen Wan Road, Tuen Mun Road and Yuen Long Northern Bypass to the junction of Castle Peak Road and Lok Ma Chau Border Link Road. Route 4 runs along the base of the foothills separating Kowloon from the New Territories and connects Kwun Tong and Lai Chi Kok.