The Causeway Bay end of the proposed Central-Wan Chai bypass should be built underground to avoid a multi-storey eyesore in front of Victoria Park, town planners said at an environmental forum yesterday.
Peter Cookson-Smith, director of Urbis in Hong Kong, told the EnviroSeries conference that the best solution to avoid a tangled mass of concrete and off-ramps would be to extend the underground part of the link.
At present, the Central-Wan Chai bypass will go underground near the IFC building and emerge as a flyover in front of Victoria Park at Causeway Bay.
'While this would be more expensive and would involve traffic disruption during construction, it would ultimately reduce the visual impact to the Causeway Bay area,' he said.
Another option would be to provide better access if the roads had to be elevated, he said, pointing to Sydney's Darling Harbour with pedestrian access beneath the canopy of an elevated freeway.
Sean O'Neill, director of communications of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, said technology made another options a realistic alternative and the Boston community was actively involved in regular public meetings where concerns and suggestions could be raised.