Countdown to much-awaited opening of TKO connections

The Tseung Kwan O - Lam Tin Tunnel and the Tseung Kwan O Cross Bay Link are expected to start operating on December 11.

The Transport and Logistics Bureau has said the installation of all major structural components of the link have been completed.

And the structural work of the tunnel's administration building, ventilation buildings and various viaducts have been completed.

But before its opening, the link will be used as the site for the Community Chest New Territories Walk for Millions on November 20.

The walk will start near the junction of Po Yap Road and Po Shun Road in Tseung Kwan O, then go along a new road leading to the Tseung Kwan O Interchange, before reaching the link.

Walkers will then take a return route to finish at a landscaped deck of the new road near Tong Yin Street. It would take around 90 minutes to complete the six-kilometer walk.

Lawmaker Stanley Li Sai-wing of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong yesterday said he is confident the Civil Engineering and Development Department would be able to open the link and the tunnel to vehicles by the end of the year.

But Li called on the department to make an official statement to consolidate the information on operation details.

"The department also needs to complete promotional work for the new transportation infrastructure projects and put up traffic signs near the entrance and exit of the tunnel to prevent confusion for drivers," he said.

Li urged the government to coordinate routes with bus operators to improve traffic capabilities in the area.

Two new bus routes by New World First Bus will utilize the new link and tunnel, sources said.

The routes will provide services at peak hours, starting from Lohas Park toward Mong Kok or Tsim Sha Tsui.

He hoped the government would be able to deliver on its promise to waive toll fees for the tunnel to prevent traffic bottlenecks at the entrance.

The link is a 1.8-kilometer dual two-lane carriageway with a bicycle lane and footpath across Junk Bay.

It will connect the Tseung Kwan O - Lam Tin Tunnel to Wan Po Road in Tseung Kwan O's Area 86 to provide an alternative access route to the southeastern part of the district.

Drivers from southeastern Tseung Kwan O will be able to reach the western part of the district via the link or commute to Kowloon East via the new tunnel without traveling through Wan Po Road and Tseung Kwan O town center.

cjames.lee@singtaonewscorp.com