Hong Kong’s much-awaited Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass is undergoing final testing before its debut on December 21, authorities have said, adding that a core challenge has been tunnelling beneath 240 structures in the area.
The new 4.7km (7.56-mile) transport corridor in Kowloon, which includes a 3.9km three-lane, two-way tunnel linking the Kai Tak Development Area and Kowloon Bay with Yau Ma Tei, is set to slash the peak-hour journey time from about 30 minutes to five.
“We have basically completed everything,” Yanis Poon Ka-yan, senior engineer of the Highways Department, told the media.
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“Now we are conducting some final tests, including [checking] the system for our tunnel operator to see if the progress is good. It might also involve conducting some inspections and tests on site as well as some basic maintenance.”
The government secured HK$42 billion (US$5.4 billion) in funding from the Legislative Council’s Finance Committee and began construction in the fourth quarter of 2017.
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Poon said the project was nearing completion and that costs remained within the budget.
The bypass is unique among vehicular tunnels as it cuts underneath Central Kowloon, the city’s most densely populated urban district, rather than crossing natural obstacles such as mountains or sea.