The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Transport visited the Central Kowloon Bypass (Kowloon Bay Section) today (November 2) to learn about the latest progress of the section prior to its commissioning, as well as the challenges in tunnel construction.
Accompanied by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, Members first received a briefing from representatives of the Government at the Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel Administration Building on the project information and commissioning arrangements of the Central Kowloon Bypass (Kowloon Bay Section). Members also visited the Tunnel Control Centre to gain an understanding of the operation of the Traffic Control and Surveillance System, and how the traffic inside the tunnel is monitored and managed through closed-circuit televisions and automatic incident detection systems, etc.
The Central Kowloon Bypass (Yau Ma Tei Section) was commissioned in December last year, while the remaining Kowloon Bay Section will be commissioned on December 6 this year. Members noted that the 3.4-kilometre-long Kowloon Bay Section, which links the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel and the Central Kowloon Bypass (Yau Ma Tei Section) to form Route 6, connects various districts including Yau Ma Tei, Kai Tak and Tseung Kwan O with a fixed toll of $8. It is anticipated that the journey time between Tseung Kwan O and Yau Ma Tei via the Central Kowloon Bypass during peak hours will be substantially reduced from the past 65 minutes to 12 minutes, making travelling more convenient for the public.
Members then visited the portals and the tunnel tubes of the Kowloon Bay Section to learn about the traffic arrangements of the road section connecting Lam Tin Interchange and Kai Tak, as well as the construction challenges encountered in the underwater tunnel. Members noted that the Kowloon Bay Section project adopted multiple innovative tunneling and automation technologies, alongside Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MiMEP) method, etc, to ensure safe and effective large-scale tunnel boring beneath the seabed while reducing risks of works and minimising disruption to residents' daily lives.
During the visit, Members exchanged views with representatives of the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and the Transport Department, and requested the Government to step up public publicity before the commissioning and closely monitor the traffic conditions in the initial stage of commissioning, so as to ensure smooth traffic flow in relevant road sections.
A total of 18 members and non-members of the Panel on Transport participated in the visit.
