256 Transport
the Ma On Shan Rail Line with the West Rail Line at Hung Hom via Diamond Hill and Southeast Kowloon.
The 'North South Corridor' will extend the East Rail Line from Hung Hom Station across the harbour to Admiralty Station on Hong Kong Island. The railway scheme was gazetted under the Railways Ordinance on November 26, 2010. The amendment scheme was gazetted on July 15, 2011 and subsequently on November 11, 2011. Construction of the main works is expected to start in 2012 for completion in 2018 for the section between Tai Wai and Hung Hom and 2020 for the section between Hung Hom and Admiralty. Construction of the advance works of the Sha Tin-to-Central Link commenced in May 2011.
The Chief Executive announced in his 2007-08 Policy Address an initiative to foster closer Hong Kong-Shenzhen Airport Co-operation and to study the feasibility and economic benefits of establishing the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Line (WEL), to capitalise on the synergy of their complementary flight networks. Another major function of the WEL is to connect Shenzhen Qianhai and the Northwest New Territories. It is important for the design of the WEL to tie in with the planning and development programme of these two areas. The WEL is currently being further planned in the context of the consultancy study on the Review and Update of the Railway Development Strategy 2000.
Road Projects under Construction
Major road projects under construction include:
• A Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link (CWB) forming part of the east-west strategic route along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, to alleviate traffic congestion at the existing Connaught Road Central/ Harcourt Road/Gloucester Road. CWB is a 4.5-kilometre-long dual three-lane trunk road with a 3.7-kilometre-long tunnel. Construction started in December 2009 and is now in full swing. It is scheduled for commissioning in 2017.
• Reconstruction of Tuen Mun Road to bring the expressway's dual three-lane carriageway up to current standards and to provide hard shoulder lanes. wherever possible. The project is scheduled for completion by 2014. Work on widening the Tuen Mun Road Town Centre section is scheduled for completion by the end of 2013.
• Widening of Tolo Highway between the Island House Interchange and Tai Hang to upgrade the existing dual three-lane carriageway to a dual four-lane carriageway. Construction of the section between Island House Interchange and Ma Wo commenced in August 2009 for completion in 2013, while construction of the section between Ma Wo and Tai Hang commenced in February 2010 for completion by the end of 2013.
• Bus-Bus Interchanges on Tuen Mun Road involving construction of two bus- bus interchanges, one for Tuen Mun bound buses, the other for Kowloon-
Page 300Page 301