ENG-1992 — Page 259

TRANSPORT

density, combined with the difficult terrain and dense building development, poses a constant challenge to transport planning, road construction and maintenance. There are eight major road tunnels, over 762 flyovers and bridges, 426 footbridges and 239 subways to assist the mobility of vehicles and people.

To cope with the ever-increasing transport demands, the Highways Department has continued an extensive construction programme, with about 50 road projects under construction and a similar number being actively planned at any one time.

Expenditure on highway construction was about $2,393 million, while another $613 million was spent on improving and maintaining existing roads.

Strategic Road Network

The spine of the strategic road network is Route 1, which runs from Aberdeen on the southern shore of Hong Kong Island and cuts through Kowloon peninsula and the New Territories to the Lok Ma Chau border crossing point.

On Hong Kong Island, Route 8 runs along the northern shore from the Cross-Harbour Tunnel via the Island Eastern Corridor to Shau Kei Wan and Chai Wan in the east. Route 7 stretches westwards from the Cross-Harbour Tunnel along the northern shore, via Gloucester Road, Harcourt Road and Connaught Road to Hill Road at Kennedy Town.

On the mainland, Route 2 runs from the Kowloon Bay Reclamation, through the Airport Tunnel, via the East and West Kowloon Corridors, Tsuen Wan Road, Tuen Mun Road and Yuen Long Northern Bypass to the junction of Castle Peak Road and Lok Ma Chau Border Link Road. Route 4 runs along the base of the foothills separating Kowloon from the New Territories and connects Lai Chi Kok with Kwun Tong and further with Tseung Kwan O through the Tseung Kwan O Tunnel. Route 5, another strategic road, is a seven-kilometre two-way trunk road connecting Sha Tin with Tsuen Wan via the Shing Mun Tunnels. It forms part of the New Territories Circular Road System.

The Eastern Harbour Crossing, which forms part of Route 6, opened in September 1989. The remaining sections of Route 6 including Kwun Tong Bypass, Tate's Cairn Tunnel and the approach road linking Tate's Cairn Tunnel to Tolo Highway were all completed in June 1991.

Improvements to Major Road Networks

In the north New Territories, remaining sections of the New Territories Circular Road from Pak Shek Au to Au Tau are being constructed in stages. Phase III between Fairview Park and Mai Po was opened in August 1991 and the remaining Phase IV from Fairview Park to Au Tau will be completed in early 1993.

The Yuen Long to Tuen Mun Eastern Corridor is under construction in the north-west New Territories for completion in mid 1993 to provide an eastern continuation of Route 2. This corridor is a dual two lane trunk road along the eastern side of Castle Peak Road to connect with the Yuen Long Southern Bypass, construction of which started in early 1992 and is scheduled for completion in late 1994.

To improve cross-border traffic and relieve access to the north-west New Territories, the Country Park section of Route 3 is under planning for completion by late 1990s. It will be a dual three-lane carriageway connecting Ting Kau with Yuen Long. Consideration is being given to privatising this project.

URBAN COUNCIL PUBLIC LIBRARIES

REFERENCE LIBRARY

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