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1. Harbour panel backs Central bypass

1. Harbour panel backs Central bypass
CHLOE LAI, SCMP 13 December 2005

Harbour advisers have given their blessing for the construction of a waterfront road to ease traffic jams in Central and Wan Chai.

But they said the government should come up with sustainable transport management measures to resolve traffic problems in the long run, such as adjusting tolls for the cross-harbour tunnels and controlling development along the Eastern Corridor.

Members of the Harbourfront Enhancement Committee's Wan Chai development review subgroup decided the Central-Wan Chai bypass should be built either in the form of a tunnel or a flyover.

An earlier suggestion to build at ground level was rejected because it would require extensive reclamation and the reclaimed land would largely be used by roads instead of to enhance the waterfront environment.

Building a tunnel or a flyover would require reclamation off Eastern district. A consultant will now study the extent of reclamation needed for each option, and the public will then be consulted.

Initial estimates suggest that a flyover would require less reclamation than a tunnel but would have an adverse visual impact at the waterfront.

The government advisers had earlier refused to endorse plans to build a Central-Wan Chai bypass. But an expert panel reported that a bypass was needed, while pointing out it was not a long-term fix for congestion. It said a bypass alone could not end traffic jams since every road had a finite capacity.

"The growth of traffic demand over a decade would overrun its capacity," the report said.

The subgroup ran a public consultation exercise early this year in which it invited people to give their opinions on the future use of the harbour off Causeway Bay. The subgroup is now analysing the views it gathered to prepare for the second stage of consultation.

Many of the submissions received from companies and groups supported the tunnel suggestion. Among those favouring that option were Swire Properties, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Business and Professionals Federation.

Hardy Lok Kung-chin, director of the Society for Protection of the Harbour, stressed that the subgroup must keep open the option of building a flyover.

Greg Wong Chak-yan, president of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, said: "We should always bear in mind the possibility of legal action against reclamation. To avoid this, we should include the flyover suggestion and let the public choose."