ENG-1991 — Page 276

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TRANSPORT

The toll-free Airport Tunnel provides direct road access from Hung Hom to Hong Kong International Airport, and also crosses underneath the airport runway to Kowloon Bay. Opened in 1982, it was used by an average of 49 000 vehicles per day in 1991.

The Cross-Harbour Tunnel, opened in 1972, runs beneath the harbour between Causeway Bay on Hong Kong Island and Hung Hom in Kowloon. Used by an average of 120 000 vehicles each day in 1991, it is one of the world's busiest four-lane road facilities.

The Eastern Harbour Crossing is the second cross-harbour road tunnel in Hong Kong. Opened in September 1989, it links Quarry Bay on Hong Kong Island and Cha Kwo Ling in Kowloon. In mid-1991, it was connected by elevated roads to the Kowloon portal of the Tate's Cairn Tunnel. The daily throughput at the Eastern Harbour Crossing has been increasing steadily. By the end of 1991, traffic in this tunnel averaged 60 000 vehicles per day.

Traffic Management and Control

At the end of the year, there were about 930 signalised junctions in operation, of which 330 junctions were under the control of the Kowloon Area Traffic Control (ATC) System and 210 under the control of the Hong Kong ATC System.

The Kowloon ATC System has been in operation for more than 14 years. Due to its limited capacity, it now controls only about 90 per cent of the signalised junctions in Kowloon. It needs to be replaced by an expanded and modern system in order to cope with increasing demand to control more junctions, and to implement more efficient traffic control methods. A contract for replacing the system was awarded in late 1991. The new system with responsive traffic control facilities is expected to be operational in 1995, controlling all the signalised junctions, numbering about 450, in the Kowloon peninsula.

The Kowloon ATC System is supplemented by a traffic monitoring closed-circuit television system. This system at present covers only the western, southern and northern parts of Kowloon. As part of the Kowloon ATC System replacement project, the television system needs to be expanded to east Kowloon and its coverage of other areas of Kowloon needs to be increased. This expansion is expected to start in 1992 for its completion to coincide with the commissioning of the new Kowloon ATC System.

At the end of 1991, there were about 260 signalised junctions in operation on Hong Kong Island. Of these, about 210 on the northern shore from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan were operating under computer control of the Hong Kong ATC System. The expansion of the system to the Mid-levels area is scheduled for completion by the end of 1992.

Contracts were awarded at the end of 1991 for implementing a traffic monitoring Closed Circuit Television System (CCTV) for Hong Kong Island. Under this scheme 35 cameras are scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 1992.

To extend ATC to the remaining parts of the territory, a contract for implementing it to Tsuen Wan New Town was awarded in 1991 together with the Kowloon ATC renewal contract. Under this scheme, about 100 signalised junctions in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi areas will come under ATC in mid-1993. Planning work is also continuing for installing a CCTV system for Tsuen Wan New Town and to extend ATC to Sha Tin.