Following is a question by the Hon Holden Chow and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Transport and Housing, Dr Raymond So Wai-man, in the Legislative Council today (November 4):
Question:
It has been reported that the Northern Connection of Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link (TM-CLKL) will be commissioned by the end of this year at the earliest. There is a roundabout at the northern end of the Northern Connection of TM-CLKL connecting Lung Fu Road and Lung Mun Road. Some members of the transport trades are worried that upon the commissioning of the Northern Connection of TM-CLKL, the vehicular flow at the roundabout will surge, giving rise to vehicles from different directions competing for the use of the carriageways and serious traffic congestion. Regarding the transport infrastructure for the Tuen Mun District, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the latest anticipated commissioning date of the Northern Connection of TM-CLKL;
(2) whether the Government will, in order to reduce the occurrence of traffic congestion and traffic accidents at the aforesaid roundabout upon the commissioning of the Northern Connection of TM-CLKL, improve the design of the roundabout; and
(3) given that the Government commenced the investigation and preliminary design work for the Tuen Mun Western Bypass as early as in 2008, but the project to date still remains at the stage of researching on the alignments, of the latest implementation timetable of the project?
Reply:
President,
The 9-kilometre-long Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link (TM-CLKL), upon commissioning, will provide a new strategic link connecting the Northwest New Territories with Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), North Lantau and the Hong Kong International Airport. The TM-CLKL Southern Connection connecting the North Lantau Highway with HZMB Hong Kong Port was commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2018. The Highways Department (HyD) is pressing ahead with works of TM-CLKL Northern Connection.
After consulting the Transport Department (TD) and the HyD, my reply to the various parts of the Hon Holden Chow's question is as follows:
(1) The tunnels, viaducts and administration building of the TM-CLKL Northern Connection have been substantially completed, which is anticipated to be commissioned in end 2020 at the earliest.
(2) Having considered the estimated traffic flow at the said roundabout and associated roads, the HyD has, during the design stage, designed the layout of the roundabout in accordance with Transport Planning and Design Manual, which included the provision of adequate traffic lanes for motorists entering/leaving the roundabout, and exclusive left turn lanes with a view to reducing the traffic flow to and from the TM-CLKL Northern Connection entering the roundabout.
Besides, the HyD has conducted an independent Road Safety Audit (RSA) for the entire road project and implemented the recommendations from the RSA before the road opening. The HyD and the TD have also reviewed the current traffic flow at the concerned roundabout, and have been implementing a series of enhancement measures prior to the commissioning of TM-CLKL Northern Connection, which include providing additional road markings and variable message sign to advise motorists to reduce speed before entering the roundabout as well as erecting additional temporary directional signs and traffic signs.
In addition, the Government will provide driving guide videos to educate motorists on driving routes of the TM-CLKL Northern Connection and the locations of its road junctions. The videos will be made available to the public before the commissioning of the TM-CLKL Northern Connection, such that motorists can get familiar with the driving routes in advance with a view to facilitating smoother traffic. The TD will also closely monitor the traffic conditions after the commissioning of the TM-CLKL Northern Connection.
(3) In the 2019 Policy Address, the Government announced that it would re-plan and conduct study for the coastal development of Tuen Mun West. The Government thus needs to review the planning of the future strategic routes and connecting roads within the district. It is anticipated that the preliminary result of the review study will be available by end 2020 at the earliest. The Government will consider the results of the review study as well as the investigation study of Tuen Mun Western Bypass and consult the relevant District Councils and stakeholders in a timely manner.
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