ENG-2019 — Page 260

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Transport

Bridges

The five major cable-supported bridges are Tsing Ma, Kap Shui Mun, Ting Kau, Stonecutters and a section of Shenzhen Bay Bridge. Only the first two levy toll charges and carry both road and rail traffic. Tsing Ma Bridge, with a main span of 1,377m, is one of the world's longest span suspension bridges.

The HZMB includes the Main Bridge, Hong Kong Port and Hong Kong Link Road.

The Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link is a dual two-lane carriageway of about 9km long connecting Tuen Mun with the HZMB Hong Kong Port and North Lantau. It consists of the Southern Connection, fully commissioned in November 2018, and the Northern Connection, anticipated to be completed by end-2020 at the earliest.

Tsing Ma Control Area

The Tsing Ma Control Area is a 21km expressway network which covers mainly Tsing Kwai Highway, Cheung Tsing Tunnel, and the Ting Kau, Tsing Ma and Kap Shui Mun bridges. An average of 97,400 vehicles per day used Tsing Ma Bridge and Kap Shui Mun Bridge in 2019.

Tsing Sha Control Area

The Tsing Sha Control Area is a 13km expressway network. It consists of Stonecutters Bridge, Nam Wan Tunnel, Eagle's Nest Tunnel, Sha Tin Heights Tunnel and Tai Wai Tunnel. In 2019, an average of 61,600 vehicles per day used this expressway.

Road Boundary Crossings

There are five road-based boundary crossings between Hong Kong and the Mainland, at Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok, Shenzhen Bay Port and the HZMB Hong Kong Port. Cross- boundary travellers can also use the HZMB to travel to and from Macao. All the five crossings open daily for goods and passenger vehicles. The Lok Ma Chau Control Point and HZMB Hong Kong Port operate round the clock. The Sha Tau Kok and Man Kam To control points are open from 7am to 10pm. The Shenzhen Bay Port is open from 6.30am to midnight.

In 2019, the control points of Lok Ma Chau, Man Kam To, Sha Tau Kok, Shenzhen Bay Port and HZMB Hong Kong Port respectively recorded on average 20,200, 4,200, 2,200, 12,700 and 4,200 daily vehicle trips, and 68,000, 9,900, 7,300, 105,600 and 53,200 daily passenger trips. The total number of cross-boundary passengers travelling by rail, road and sea decreased 3.5 per cent to 691,200 a day. Most travellers using the road-based control points take cross-boundary coaches, shuttle buses or local public transport, which carried an average of 64,400, 60,100 and 85,700 passengers a day respectively.

Future Road Network Development

The Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link, forming part of the east-west strategic route along the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, aims to alleviate traffic congestion at Connaught Road Central/Harcourt Road/Gloucester Road and shorten the travel time between Central and North Point to five minutes. This 4.5km dual three-lane trunk road with a 3.7km tunnel was fully commissioned in February.

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