The Highways Department today (December 18) signed a contract for about $3,464 million with Build King-SKEC Joint Venture for works in Yau Ma Tei West under the Central Kowloon Route (CKR) project. The works mainly comprise the construction of an approximately 250-metre-long depressed road at the western tunnel portal of the CKR, the construction of a landscaped deck structure of approximately 22,000 square metres above the western tunnel portal and Hoi Wang Road, the construction of approach roads and slip roads connecting the CKR with the existing road networks, and the construction of the re-aligned and regraded Hoi Wang Road and the associated bridges linking to West Kowloon Highway and Lin Cheung Road.
The landscaped deck above the western tunnel portal of the CKR will cover not only the depressed road but also the section of Hoi Wang Road between Yan Cheung Road and Lai Cheung Road, so as to mitigate the impact caused by traffic at the tunnel portal to the adjacent environment. It will also be connected with the landscaped deck of the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High Speed Link, thus forming a grade-separated pedestrian route between Yau Ma Tei and the West Kowloon Station. It will serve as a sitting-out area for public enjoyment.
The CKR is a 4.7-kilometre-long dual three-lane strategic trunk road in Central Kowloon linking the Yau Ma Tei Interchange in West Kowloon with the road network of the Kai Tak Development and Kowloon Bay in East Kowloon. It is anticipated that it will be commissioned in 2025. The CKR will relieve traffic congestion in the road network in Central Kowloon. It is estimated that the journey time between Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Bay during peak hours will be much reduced from 25 minutes to about 5 minutes. A total of four works contracts including the present one have been awarded under the CKR project with a total value of about $15 billion.
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