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 Interactive map of Cross-Harbour Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | BeneathVictoria Harbour, betweenHung Hom Bay andKellet Island |
| Coordinates | 22°17′29″N114°10′56″E / 22.29139°N 114.18222°E /22.29139; 114.18222 (Cross-Harbour Tunnel) |
| Status | Active |
| System | Part ofRoute 1 |
| Start | Hung Hom Bay,Kowloon (betweenHong Chong Road andSalisbury Road) |
| End | Kellet Island,Causeway Bay,Hong Kong Island (Canal Road Flyover) |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 2 August 1972; 53 years ago (1972-08-02) |
| Owner | Hong Kong Government |
| Operator | Chun Wo Tunnel Management Limited |
| Traffic | Vehicular |
| Vehicles per day | 116,754 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 1.86 kilometres (1.16 mi) |
| No. oflanes | 4 lanes (2 lanes per direction) in road tunnel with 3 lanes per direction on exit |
| Operating speed | 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) (within tunnel) 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) (exit and entrance to tunnel) |
| Cross-Harbour Tunnel | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 海底隧道 | ||||||||||||
| Jyutping | Hoi2dai2 Seoi6dou6 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Seabed tunnel | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 紅磡海底隧道 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 红磡海底隧道 | ||||||||||||
| Jyutping | Hung4ham3 Hoi2dai2 Seoi6dou6 | ||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Hung Hom seabed tunnel | ||||||||||||
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TheCross-Harbour Tunnel (abbreviatedCHT orXHT) is the first tunnel in Hong Kong built underwater. It consists of two steel road tunnels, each with two lanes constructed using the single shellimmersed tube method.[1]
It is the earliest of threevehicular harbour crossings in Hong Kong, opened for traffic in 1972. It was constructed under a 30-year private-sector franchise based on abuild–operate–transfer (BOT) model, and the title passed to theHong Kong government in 1999 upon termination of the franchise. It has become one of the most congested roads in Hong Kong and the world, with 116,753 vehicles passing through it daily in 2013.[2]
The Hong Kong government used the BOT model for the implementation of the tunnel project; financing and construction was the responsibility of a private enterprise, which was granted a concession to operate and collect tolls for 30 years. The concession was given to the then Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company Limited (Chinese:香港隧道有限公司), todaythe Cross-Harbour Holdings Limited (港通控股有限公司), which was founded in 1965 to carry out the tunnel project. The Hong Kong government participated to the tune of 20% in order not to fully hand over their influence on the project. The tunnel was designed with two lanes in each direction for a capacity of 80,000 vehicles. The project was structurally managed jointly by the British engineering firms Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Partners and Freeman Fox & Partners. The tunnel links the main financial and commercial districts on both sides ofVictoria Harbour, connectingKellett Island (a former island now connected toHong Kong Island byreclamation), with a reclaimed site on the western side ofHung Hom Bay,Kowloon, off thenHong Kong Technical College. The toll plaza is located at the Hung Hom end of the tunnel, and has 14 toll booths. It provides the first road link and the first link for land transport between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Prior to the opening of the tunnel, cross-harbour vehicular traffic depended on ferries and for passengers, theStar Ferry. The project was joint-engineered byScott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Partners andFreemanFox& Partners.[3]
Construction began in September 1969 and was to last four years. The concession period ran from the start of construction, and the operator accordingly completed the construction one year faster than planned. On 2 August 1972, the tunnel was opened for traffic, charging HK$5 per car crossing. After just three and a half years of operation, the operator had recouped the construction costs.
In 1984, the Hong Kong Government introduced a tax in addition to the operator's toll to make the overcrowded tunnel less priced. The price for a car transit was now HK$10.
In 1993, an electronic toll collection system was installed. Together with measures to control the flow of traffic, the vehicle capacity could be increased.
It was administered byThe Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company Ltd until August 1999, when the operation franchise agreement expired and the government assumed control. From 1 November 2010, the tunnel was managed, operated and maintained bySerco on a contract basis.[4] The tunnel was then operated by Chun Wo Tunnel Management Limited, which was awarded a contract lasting from 2016 to 2022. On 1 November 2022,Serco took over from Chun Wo Tunnel Management Limited.
The 2017 Hong Kong action filmShock Wave, starringAndy Lau, set its main plot in the tunnel.
In November 2019,Hong Kong protesters set roadblocks across the northern tunnel entrance and set fire to tollbooths, as many roads around thePolytechnic University were blocked, leading to the closure of the tunnel for a dozen of days.[5]
| Initial (1972) | From 1984 | From 1992 | From 1999 | From 23 July 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | $5 | $10 | $10 | $20 | $30 |
| Taxi | $5 | $10 | $10 | $10 | $25 |
| Light goods vehicle (LGV) | $10 | $15 | $15 | $15 | $50 |
| Heavy goods vehicle (HGV) | $20 | $25 | $30 | $30 | $70 |
| Source: Consultancy report,[6] Transport Department[7] | |||||
The tunnel generates approximately HK$700 million in annual toll revenue.[4]
In 2023, manual toll collectors have been phased out withHKeToll, an electronic toll collection service introduced by the Transport Department.[8] Cash andOctopus Cards are no longer be accepted for payment, and the toll booths have been removed from the entrances of the tunnel.
As of 2018[update], there are 44 bus routes passing through the tunnel.
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| Preceded by Canal Road Flyover | Hong Kong Route 1 Cross-Harbour Tunnel | Succeeded by Hong Chong Road |