ENG-1981 — Page 233

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Moving the Traffic

Keeping Hong Kong on the move presents a formidable challenge because of con- tinuing traffic growth and the lack of suitable land for road construction. With some 247 vehicles for every kilometre of road, the territory has one of the highest traffic densities in the world. To improve traffic flow, more 'highways in the sky' are being built over existing roads and tunnels have been bored through hills. At present there are more than 1150 kilometres of roads in Hong Kong serving almost 300 000 vehicles. The network includes more than 60 flyovers, two dual-lane twin- portal tunnels - at Lion Rock and beneath the harbour - two major bridges – at Tsing Yi and Ap Lei Chau -six subways and some 160 pedestrian facilities to keep traffic and people moving. Two new tunnels (linking Aberdeen and Happy Valley and beneath the airport) will be open to traffic in 1982. More than 50 further road projects are also under construction while some 150 others are being planned. Within the next five years some $3,500 million worth of roadworks are expected to be completed. During 1981, work started on the Hong Kong Island Eastern Corridor, a massive elevated road along the waterfront from Causeway Bay to Quarry Bay, to ease traffic congestion in North Point. The entire scheme, which will eventually be linked to Chai Wan, is expected to be completed in 1985.

Previous page: As darkness falls the Cause- way Bay interchange and the entrance to the Cross Harbour Tunnel become swathed in the lights of moving vehicles. Left: An engineer and consultant discuss the Hong Kong Island Eastern Corridor; contractors check plans for the Stubbs Road flyover; engineers note that the planned Tsing Ma Bridge towers will be higher than Connaught Centre.