Slight congestion on roads leading to Hong Kong’s Central-Wan Chai Bypass as HK$36 billion link faces first evening rush hour
- Few cars seen in the morning on 4.5km link after three-hour jam on Sunday prompts drivers to take alternative routes, but traffic picked up in evening
The multibillion-dollar bypass built to ease congestion in the heart of Hong Kong ran smoothly during the Monday morning rush hour, but there were slight jams in the evening on roads leading to the link.
While the ride through the HK$36 billion (US$4.6 billion) Central-Wan Chai Bypass was mostly smooth, commuters said they did not save much, if any, time compared with other routes, which also had no congestion on Monday.
The bypass first opened to traffic on Sunday morning, providing a mostly uneventful journey, with the exception of a jam in the afternoon that prompted the Transport Department to suggest drivers take alternative routes during Monday’s morning and evening peak hours – which experts had warned would be the real challenge for the link.
The 4.5km bypass – completed after about 10 years of construction plagued by delays and cost overruns – comprises a flyover in Central and a 3.7km tunnel. It is expected to ease congestion between North Point and Central, particularly on Gloucester Road, Harcourt Road and Connaught Road Central.
At about 8am on Monday, the Post took only two minutes to get from the Island Eastern Corridor in North Point to the entrance of the bypass. The ride in the 3.7km tunnel took about four minutes.
