ENG-2005 — Page 301

Transport 1 255

scheme to meet Hong Kong's increasing transport needs in a sustainable manner over the next two decades.

West Rail, which opened in December 2003, the East Rail Tsim Sha Tsui Extension, which opened in October 2004, the East Rail Tai Wai to Ma On Shan Rail Link, which opened two month later and the Disneyland Resort Line, which opened in August 2005, involved an investment of about $65 billion. Construction work continued in 2005 on two rail projects, the Spur Line and the Kowloon Southern Link, which are now under construction at a total cost of about $18 billion.

The Sha Tin to Central Link, West Island Line, the Northern Link and the Hong Kong section of the Express Rail Link are now under active planning.

Transport Infrastructure

Road Network

Hong Kong has 1 955 kilometres of roads and 1 129 road structures, three immersed-tube cross-harbour tunnels, nine road tunnels and three major bridges. These facilities provide a comprehensive road network for Hong Kong.

Major projects completed during the year included:

Tunnels

the Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor, a dual three-lane vehicular boundary crossing across Deep Bay to connect Ngau Hom Shek in the north-western part of the New Territories with Shekou to relieve congested traffic at the three existing vehicular boundary crossings;

Penny's Bay Highway - formerly known as Chok Ko Wan Link Road (Penny's Bay section) - a dual three-lane carriageway to connect Sunny Bay and Hong Kong Disneyland;

Salisbury Road Underpass, a dual two-lane underpass along Salisbury Road, and widening of the section of Salisbury Road between Wing On Plaza and Canton Road to improve the traffic capacity at the junction of Salisbury Road and Chatham Road South;

the new boundary bridge at the Sha Tau Kok crossing, a single two-lane bridge to improve the traffic flow at the boundary crossing; and

Castle Peak Road Improvement between Area 2 and Ting Kau in Tsuen Wan to widen the existing Castle Peak Road to a dual two-lane carriageway.

The Cross-Harbour Tunnel, Eastern Harbour Crossing, Tate's Cairn Tunnel, Western Harbour Crossing and Tai Lam Tunnel were built by the private sector under 'Build, Operate and Transfer' franchises. The Cross-Harbour Tunnel, which was opened in 1972, was handed back to the Government on August 31, 1999, when the franchise ended.