ENG-1996 — Page 308

TRANSPORT

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Road Network

Hong Kong's roads have one of the highest vehicle densities in the world. At the end of 1996, there were 467 833 licensed vehicles and about 1743 kilometres of roads 420 on Hong Kong Island, 400 in Kowloon and 923 in the New Territories representing 268 vehicles per kilometre of road. This high vehicle 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, more than 850 flyovers and bridges, 490 footbridges and 300 subways to assist the mobility of vehicles and people.

To cope with increasing transport demands, the Highways Department runs an extensive road construction programme. About 70 road projects are under construction and another 40 are being planned.

The department's budget for the financial year ending March 1997 totals $7,041 million $6,328 million for major highway construction, and $713 million for road and public lighting maintenance work.

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, through the Aberdeen Tunnel, Cross-Harbour Tunnel, Kowloon peninsula, Lion Rock Tunnel, Tolo Highway, Fanling Highway and San Tin Highway to the Lok Ma Chau border crossing in the northern part of the New Territories.

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 Highway, to the junction of San Tin Highway and San Shum Road.

Route 4 runs from Ching Cheung Road, Lung Cheung Road and Kwun Tong to 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 Cheung Pei Shan Road and the Shing Mun Tunnels. It forms part of the New Territories Circular Road System.

Route 6 covers the Eastern Harbour Crossing, Kwun Tong Bypass, Tate's Cairn Tunnel and the approach road linking Tate's Cairn Tunnel to the Tolo Highway.

Improvements to Major Road Networks

To cater for the traffic demand between Western District and the upgraded Connaught Road, the construction of Belcher Bay Link started in May 1993 for completion in January 1998. It will be a dual carriageway on the new reclamation at Belcher Bay.