“A $5.5 million feasibility study for a road tunnel linking Shatin with East Kowloon was given the green light yesterday,” reported the South China Morning Post on May 2, 1986. The proposed project, the Tate’s Cairn Tunnel, was expected to become Hong Kong’s longest road tunnel and alleviate congestion in the Lion Rock Tunnel, which at the time was used by 70,000 vehicles a day. The study, which was completed in November, suggested that the Sha Tin entrance to the 4km tunnel should be located at Siu Lek Yuen or To Shek – the former eventually being chosen. The Kowloon entrance would be at Diamond Hill. On January 31, 1987, the Post reported that up to 20,000 people would be affected by a large-scale clearance operation at Diamond Hill. “Problems are expected on the Kowloon side where the exit is near Ha Yuen Ling and Tai Hom – two densely populated squatter villages.” Six private consortiums had submitted tenders to build and operate the tunnel, reported the Post on September 26. On February 24, 1988, it was reported that the HK$2 billion contract had been awarded to a British-Japanese association of developers, the Gammon-Nishimatsu consortium. Blasting and construction began that July. By 1989, projected building costs for the approach roads had risen from HK$350 million to HK$627 million. “The increase is due to unforeseen engineering and environmental problems and the need to have the project completed before the opening of the Tate’s Cairn Tunnel,” which was scheduled for 1991, the Post reported on April 24. “Motorists will have a new short cut when travelling between Sha Tin and Kowloon with the opening of the $2.15 billion Tate’s Cairn Tunnel at 8pm today,” ran a story in the Post on June 26, 1991. The tunnel, which charged a HK$4 toll for private cars, cut journey time between Sha Tin and Central from about an hour to 25 minutes. According to a June 28 Post article, it was used by 39,000 vehicles in its first 21 hours of operation.