TRANSPORT
The opening of the Shenzhen Airport provided a further impetus to the growth of cross-border traffic. Several operators have registered their interest in operating additional coach and ferry services between the airport and Hong Kong. The additional services are expected to utilise some of the spare capacity at Lok Ma Chau Crossing and the Hong Kong China Ferry Terminal.
Road Network
Hong Kong's roads have one of the highest vehicle densities in the world. At the end of 1991, there were 379 697 licenced vehicles and about 1 529 kilometres of roads - 414 on Hong Kong Island, 390 in Kowloon and 725 in the New Territories. This high vehicle density, combined with the difficult terrain and dense building development, poses a constant challenge to transport planning, road construction and maintenance. There are eight major road tunnels, over 699 flyovers and bridges, 409 footbridges and 226 subways to keep vehicles and people on the move.
To cope with ever-increasing transport demands, the Highways Department has embarked on an extensive construction programme, with about 40 road projects under construction and a similar number being actively planned at any one time.
Expenditure on highway projects was about $2,235 million, while another $548 million was spent on improving and maintaining existing roads.
Strategic Road Network
The spine of the strategic road network is Route 1, which runs from Aberdeen on the southern shore of Hong Kong Island and cuts through Kowloon peninsula to Lok Ma Chau Border Control Point in the northern New Territories. It passes through the Aberdeen, Cross-Harbour and Lion Rock Tunnels.
On Hong Kong Island, Route 8 runs along the northern shore from the Cross-Harbour Tunnel via the Island Eastern Corridor to Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan in the east. Route 7 stretches westwards from the Cross-Harbour Tunnel along the northern shore, via Gloucester Road, Harcourt Road and Connaught Road to Hill Road at Kennedy Town.
On the mainland, Route 2 runs from the Kowloon Bay Reclamation, through the Airport Tunnel, via the 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 Lai Chi Kok with Kwun Tong and further with Tseung Kwan O through the Tseung Kwan O Tunnel. Route 5, another strategic road, is a seven-kilometre two-way trunk road connecting Sha Tin with Tsuen Wan via the Shing Mun Tunnels. It forms part of the New Territories Circular Road System.
The Eastern Harbour Crossing, which forms part of Route 6, opened in September 1989. The remaining sections of Route 6, including the Kwun Tong Bypass, Tate's Cairn Tunnel and Road T6 linking Tate's Cairn Tunnel to Tolo Highway were all completed in June.
Improvements to Major Road Networks
On Hong Kong Island, the major project Route 7 was completed early in 1990. Route 7 provides two-way free-flow along Connaught Road from Harcourt Road to Hill Road, including the construction of two flyovers at Harcourt Road and Rumsey Street, an underpass at Pedder Street, widening of Connaught Road West and several footbridges.
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