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Western Harbour Crossing (“WHC”)
The Western Harbour Crossing (abbreviation WHC, 西隧) is a dual 3-lane immersed tube tunnel in Hong Kong. It is the third road tunnel to cross Victoria Harbour, linking the newly reclaimed land in Yau Ma Tei on Kowloon West with Sai Ying Pun on Hong Kong Island. It was constructed by the Western Harbour Tunnel Company Limited (WHTCL) on a 30 year franchise (1993–2023) build-operate-transfer (BOT) model proposed by the Government.
Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is the first three-lane road tunnel in Asia to be constructed using submerged pipe, and is the newest of the three Victoria Harbour road tunnels.[1] It is part of the Airport Core Programme which was a comprehensive set of infrastructure projects associated with the airport at Chek Lap Kok. The tunnel carries on the Route 3 designation from the West Kowloon Highway, and connects to Route 4 on Hong Kong Island.
Background of 3 Cross-Habor Tunnels
At present, there are three road harbour crossings (“RHCs”) in Hong Kong. They are the Cross Harbour Tunnel (“CHT”), Eastern Harbour Crossing (“EHC”) and Western Harbour Crossing (“WHC”). Initially awarded and operated as a “Build, Operate and Transfer” project, the ownership of the CHT was transferred to the Government upon the expiry of the franchise in September 1999. The New Hong Kong Tunnel Company Limited (“NHKTCL”) is granted a 30-year franchise to operate EHC until August 2016. The Western Harbour Tunnel Company Limited (“WHTCL”) is granted a 30-year franchise to operate WHC until August
2023.
The three RHCs connect Hong Kong with Kowloon Peninsula at the following points:
- The CHT connects Wan Chai/Causeway Bay with Hung Hum
- The EHC connects Quarry Bay with Yau Tong
- The WHC connects Sheung Wan with Jordan
Due to the differences in their locations, connectivity and toll levels, the distribution of traffic among the three road harbour crossings has been undesirable. CHT has a clear natural advantage over the other two crossings given its central location and connectivity, which means shorter journeys, convenience and lower fuel costs for its users. This advantage is reinforced by the significantly lower toll that applies to CHT over the years.
Consequently, the CHT is the most heavily utilised of all three road harbour crossings, with an all-day throughput of about 122,000 vehicles which greatly exceeds its design capacity of 78,500 vehicles / day. The CHT and the approach roads leading to it are congested for a good part of the day. It is considered desirable in traffic terms to divert some of the CHT traffic to the other two crossings.
Cross Harbour Tunnel (“CHT”)
The Cross-Harbour Tunnel (abbreviated CHT or XHT) is the first tunnel in Hong Kong built underwater. It consists of two steel road tunnels each with two lanes constructed using the single shell immersed tube method.
It is the earliest of three vehicular harbour crossings in Hong Kong, opened for traffic on 2 August 1972. It was constructed under 30-year private-sector franchise based on a build–operate–transfer model, and title passed to the Hong Kong government in August 1999 upon termination of the franchise. It has become one of the most congested roads (mainly towards the Hong Kong Island direction) in Hong Kong and the world, with 122,000 daily vehicles in 2014.
Eastern Harbour Crossing (“EHC”)
The Eastern Harbour Crossing, abbreviated as "EHC" (東隧), is a tunnel in Hong Kong. It is a combined road and MTR rail link under Victoria Harbour between Quarry Bay in Hong Kong Island and Cha Kwo Ling in Kowloon East.
In 1986, the government gave New Hong Kong Tunnel the right to run the Tunnel on a 30-year franchisee with lease expiring in August 2016. The tunnel features two components, a road part and a rail part.
Source:
Consultancy Services for Providing Expert Advice on Rationalising the Expert Advice on Rationalising the Utilization of Road Harbour Crossings, Transport and Housing Bureau
Current Problem
There is undesirable distribution of traffic among the three cross-habor tunnels, and the congestion at CHT is the most prominent problem of all. The CHT is the most heavily utilized among the three tunnels. There are congestions at both ends of the tunnel and vehicles have to line up for their turn to go into the tunnel. During peak periods, extensive queues are commonly observed at the CHT connecting roads on both sides of the entrances. For more details, please click here.
Explanation
The undesirable distribution of traffic among the three road harbour crossings has long been a hot topic in the society. Click here for an explanation of the problem.