Mostly smooth traffic on first working day for Hong Kong’s new Tseung Kwan O tunnel-and-bridge link, but warnings of bottleneck near exit
- Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel and the Cross Bay Link system cuts up to 20 minutes off travelling time to Kwun Tong
- Authorities urged to enforce parking rules along Cha Kwo Ling Road to avoid potential congestion
Traffic at a new tunnel-and-bridge link connecting Hong Kong’s Tseung Kwan O and Kwun Tong was mostly smooth on the first weekday since it opened, but observers on Monday warned of possible congestion at an exit along Cha Kwo Ling Road.
Residents welcomed the shortened commute made possible by the Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel and the Cross Bay Link. The new system is expected to shave off 20 minutes of travelling time between Tseung Kwan O and Kwun Tong.
Before the launch of the landmark link on Sunday, Tseung Kwan O residents relied on the old tunnel, known for its congestion, and the MTR for their commute to other parts of the city.
Raymond Leung, a retiree in his sixties, was among the first batch of passengers at 8am on Monday on bus route 795, which connects Tseung Kwan O industrial estate to Cheung Sha Wan via the new link.
Leung, who was headed to Mong Kok for errands, said he was satisfied with the new ride. “The route is faster than the old one, because there are always traffic jams at the old Tseung Kwan O Tunnel,” he said. “I think the new route is 15 or 20 minutes faster.”
But an earlier bus for passengers should be arranged to avoid the morning rush hour, he added.
Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, president of the Hong Kong Automobile Association, told a radio programme he found the new tunnel-and-bridge system of great help to residents of Tseung Kwan O as it could divert traffic from the congested old tunnel. But he expressed concerns over a bottleneck at the tunnel exit on Cha Kwo Ling Road.