ENG-1987 — Page 238

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TRANSPORT

Between Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, a Tuen Mun to Yuen Long Eastern Corridor and a Yuen Long Southern Bypass have been planned to provide an eastern continuation of Route 2.

Elsewhere in the New Territories, a seven kilometre-long dual-two-lane trunk road connecting Sha Tin with Tsuen Wan (Route 5), is being constructed at an estimated cost of about $1 billion. When completed in 1989, it will form part of the New Territories Circular Road.

Other Road Projects

The second Tsing Yi Bridge connecting Tsing Yi with Tsuen Wan was completed during the year. A $120-million project to provide grade-separated vehicular and pedestrian access facilities to the Wan Chai reclamation area will be completed early next year. A flyover from Cheung Sha Wan Road to Boundary Street will also be completed next year. Good progress was made on the construction of the Tai Po Road improvement project and the Lam Kam Road flyover. Other major projects being constructed include access roads for Ma Chai Hang and Chuk Yuen, extension of Gascoigne Road Flyover to span over the junction of Gascoigne Road and Wylie Road, two one-way flyovers linking Kai Tak Airport Passenger Terminal Building with the eastbound carriageway of Prince Edward Road East, a link road from Ma On Shan to Nai Chung and the improvement of Man Kam To Road.

Tunnels

Due to the hilly terrain and the harbour, road tunnels are an important part of Hong Kong's road network. Of the four existing tunnels, the Lion Rock, Aberdeen and Airport tunnels are managed by the Transport Department, and the Cross-Harbour Tunnel is owned and operated by the Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company Limited.

Lion Rock Tunnel links Kowloon to Sha Tin and the north-eastern New Territories. It opened in 1967 with a single tube, and in 1978 a second tube was added. Because of the rapid development in the north-eastern region of the New Territories, the traffic in this tunnel had increased to 92 000 vehicles per day by the end of 1987, and during peak hours traffic volume had reached the tunnel capacity, causing increasing delays, particularly in the morning rush hour. In view of the growing congestion, the government has commissioned consultants to study ways of improving the traffic flow. Findings of the study are expected in mid-1988.

Aberdeen Tunnel, opened in 1982, links the north and south sides of Hong Kong Island. The average daily traffic is 41 000 vehicles. The toll for both Lion Rock and Aberdeen tunnels is $3 one way for all vehicles.

The toll-free Airport Tunnel provides direct road access from the central area of Kowloon to Hong Kong International Airport, and also crosses underneath the airport runway to Kwun Tong. Since the tunnel opened in June 1982, the volume of traffic using it has been increasing steadily and now averages about 44 000 vehicles per day.

The Cross-Harbour Tunnel, opened in 1972, runs beneath the harbour between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula. The tunnel's traffic increased over the years to such an extent that, with an average of 110 000 vehicles using it per day in 1983, it became the world's busiest four-lane facility. The eight-class toll structure, with charges varying from $2 for motorcycles to $20 for the largest goods vehicles, has remained unaltered. To reduce congestion, the government, in June 1984, introduced a passage tax of $2 to $5 on all vehicles using the tunnel, except public and private buses and vehicles used by disabled drivers and members of the consular corps. After the introduction of this tax, there was an