TRANSPORT
service, bringing relief to the Nathan Road corridor of the Mass Transit Railway, serving new developments on the West Kowloon Reclamation and providing a third cross-harbour rail link.
Environmental Impact of Road Construction
The environmental impact of new road projects is carefully appraised at the planning stage by the Highways Department. Where practical, measures such as landscaping works, artificial contouring of surrounding hillsides and installation of noise barriers are considered. Pre-cast decorative concrete panels applied to the retaining wall of the Gascoigne Road Flyover project and the enclosed-type noise barrier for the section of the Tate's Cairn Tunnel approach roads near Richland Gardens in Kowloon Bay are two good examples.
Road Opening Works
Besides serving as carriageways for vehicles and pedestrians, the highways also provide space to install various utility services for the general public. To cope with the demand resulting from the rapid development in Hong Kong, utility companies often have to open up the carriageways and footways to maintain services by renewal, repair, and enlargement of pipes, cables and ducts. On average 140 new road openings are started every working day. These are co-ordinated and controlled by the Highways Department through a permit system, under which utility companies are required to carry out works to a required standard and in a limited period of time. In order to co-ordinate these works and to minimise disruption, the department holds monthly Road Opening Co-ordinating Committee meetings with the utility companies, police and the Transport Department.
Tunnels
The new Tate's Cairn Tunnel was opened to traffic on June 26, 1991, to provide an additional direct road link between the north-east New Territories and Kowloon. Privately designed, funded, built and operated, the tunnel measures four kilometres from portal to portal and is the longest tunnel in the territory. Charging tolls of between $4 and $8, it carried 57 000 vehicles a day at the end of 1991.
The Lion Rock Tunnel, which links Kowloon and Sha Tin, began single tube operation in 1967 with a second tube added in 1978. At a flat toll of $6 per vehicle, it is the most heavily-used government tunnel. Although the opening of the Shing Mun Tunnels in 1990 and Tate's Cairn Tunnel in 1991 provided considerable relief, the Lion Rock Tunnel was still used by 78 000 vehicles a day in the second half of 1991.
The Aberdeen Tunnel was opened in 1982. It links the north and south sides of Hong Kong Island, with a daily traffic volume of 5000 vehicles. The management of the Aberdeen Tunnel was contracted out to the private sector with effect from September 29, 1991.
The Shing Mun Tunnels, opened to traffic in 1990, link Sha Tin to Tsuen Wan. The average daily traffic, which has been increasing since opening, was 39 000 vehicles in 1991,
On March 6, 1991, the tolls for using both the Aberdeen Tunnel and Shing Mun Tunnels were increased from $3 to $5
per vehicle.
The Tseung Kwan O Tunnel was opened in late 1990. Linking Kowloon to Tseung Kwan O New Town, it was used by 12 500 vehicles daily, charging a $3 toll per vehicle.
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