Transport Infrastructure

Section 1

The existing major road and railway infrastructure as at the end of 2018 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively.

The major road infrastructure proposals on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon and the New Territories as at the end of 2018 are shown in Figure 3. Details of major highway projects under construction and planning are given in Tables 1.1 and 1.2 respectively. The Information on those railway projects under construction is provided in Table 1.3.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Main Bridge and the Hong Kong Link Road were commissioned on 24 October 2018 and the Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link (Southern Connection) was completed and opened to traffic in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Major road projects under construction include the Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link (Northern Connection), the Central - Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link, the Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel, the Cross Bay Link in Tseung Kwan O, the Central Kowloon Route, Widening of Tolo Highway/Fanling Highway between Island House Interchange and Fanling (Stage 2 – Section between Tai Hang and Wo Hop Shek Interchange), connecting road between the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point and the Fanling Highway, Hiram’s Highway Improvement Stage 1 and Widening of Tai Po Road (Sha Tin Section). Besides, major road projects under planning include the Tuen Mun Western Bypass, the Fanling Bypass, Hiram’s Highway Improvement Stage 2, Widening of Castle Peak Road – Castle Peak Bay, Widening of Western Section of Lin Ma Hang Road between Ping Yuen River and Ping Che Road, Widening of Eastern Section of Lin Ma Hang Road between Tsung Yuen Ha and Lin Ma Hang, Trunk Road T2, the Cha Kwo Ling Tunnel and Route 11 (between North Lantau and Yuen Long).

Commissioned on 23 September 2018, the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) provides express rail service between Hong Kong and Guangzhou. It shortens the journey time between Hong Kong and Guangzhou significantly from about 100 minutes to 48 minutes. The Hong Kong Section of the XRL is a 26-km long underground rail corridor. Running north from the West Kowloon Station, it passes through Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Yuen Long and the boundary at Huanggang where it connects to the Mainland Section of the XRL. The 17-km long Shatin to Central Link (SCL) is a new rail link between Tai Wai and Central through South East Kowloon. It is a territory-wide strategic railway project linking up several existing and future railways. Upon completion of the SCL, two strategic railway corridors - the "East West Corridor” and the "North South Corridor" - will be formed. The SCL has 10 stations, namely Tai Wai Station, Hin Keng Station, Diamond Hill Station, Kai Tak Station, Sung Wong Toi Station, To Kwa Wan Station, Ho Man Tin Station, Hung Hom Station, Exhibition Centre Station and Admiralty Station. The construction of the SCL commenced in July 2012. The target commissioning of the “Tai Wai to Hung Hom Section” was originally scheduled for mid-2019. However, owing to a series of Hung Hom Station incidents and associated investigation work, the target commissioning date is under review. For the "Hung Hom to Admiralty Section", the target commissioning date is 2021. The Government will continue to coordinate and oversee the construction of the SCL with a view to commissioning the project in accordance with the above target.

The Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) announced the Railway Development Strategy 2014 (RDS-2014) on 17 September 2014, providing a framework for planning the expansion of Hong Kong’s railway network up to 2031. It recommends that seven railway projects will be completed in the planning horizon up to 2031 having regard to transport demand, cost-effectiveness and the development needs of New Development Areas and other new developments. These seven railway projects are the Northern Link and Kwu Tung Station, Tuen Mun South Extension, the East Kowloon Line, Tung Chung West Extension, Hung Shui Kiu Station, the South Island Line (West) and the North Island Line. Preparation work has already started for taking forward the railway schemes of the Northern Link and Kwu Tung Station, Tuen Mun South Extension, the East Kowloon Line, Tung Chung West Extension (and Tung Chung East Station) and the North Island Line. As regards the other two railway schemes, the target is to work with reference to the respective indicative implementation windows in the RDS-2014. The taking forward of individual railway projects is still subject to the outcome of detailed engineering, environmental and financial studies relating to each project, as well as updated assessment of passenger transport demand and availability of resources at the time. Details of the RDS-2014 can be found at the following website of the THB:
http://www.thb.gov.hk/eng/psp/publications/transport/publications/rds2014.pdf