ENG-2009 — Page 300

236 Transport

Transport Infrastructure

Road Network

Hong Kong has 2 050 kilometres of roads and 1 276 road structures, 16 road tunnels (including the three immersed-tube cross-harbour tunnels) and five major cable supported bridges.

Major projects completed during the year included:

• Route 8 (between Tsing Yi and Cheung Sha Wan section): a dual three-lane carriage way linking Tsing Yi and Kowloon was commissioned in December 2009. The whole strategic road link offers a direct route between Hong Kong International Airport and the Northeast New Territories.

• Tung Chung Road between Lung Tseng Tau and Cheung Sha: the existing single-lane road has been upgraded to a single two-lane road to meet traffic demand and to improve road safety.

Tunnels

The Government owns 11 road tunnels. They are the Cross-Harbour, Lion Rock, Aberdeen, Kai Tak, Shing Mun, Tseung Kwan O, Cheung Tsing, Tai Wai, Sha Tin Height, Eagle's Nest and Nam Wan tunnels.

The last four tunnels are located in the Tsing Sha Control Area while Cheung Tsing Tunnel is located in the Tsing Ma Control Area. All 11 tunnels are managed and operated by private companies under management contracts. Use of the Kai Tak Tunnel, Cheung Tsing Tunnel and Nam Wan Tunnel

is free of charge. Tolls for the rest are provided for in their governing legislation.

Four other tunnels are operated by private companies under 'Build, Operate and Transfer' arrangements. They are the Eastern Harbour Crossing, Tate's Cairn Tunnel, Western Harbour Crossing and Tai Lam Tunnel.

There is also a private tunnel, the Discovery Bay Tunnel Link, which was built by Discovery Bay Road Tunnel Company Limited. This is operated and maintained by the company, and is open only to vehicles taking goods to Discovery Bay, or providing services to residents there.

Rail Network

Railways are a vital part of Hong Kong's transport network and are essential to its continuous economic, social and land development. They account for about 35 per cent of daily public transport passenger travel and about 62 per cent of land- based cross-boundary passenger trips to the Mainland. They are being extended to various parts of Hong Kong. The map below shows the existing railway network, one railway project under construction and the indicative alignments of the eight railway projects in the planning stage or under review.

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