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Eastern Harbour Crossing

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(Redirected from Eastern Harbour Tunnel) Tunnel crossing Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

Eastern Harbour Crossing
Entrance to Eastern Harbour Crossing at Cha Kwo Ling in July 2008
Overview
LocationBeneath Victoria Harbour, between Quarry Bay and Lam Tin (near Cha Kwo Ling)
Coordinates22°17′58.15″N 114°13′51.97″E / 22.2994861°N 114.2311028°E / 22.2994861; 114.2311028
StatusActive
SystemPart of Route 2
StartQuarry Bay
EndLam Tin (near Cha Kwo Ling)
Operation
Opened21 September 1989; 35 years ago (1989-09-21)
OwnerHong Kong Government (Road Tunnel)
MTR Corporation (Superficies and Track Tunnel)
OperatorPacific Infrastructure Limited
TrafficVehicular and Rail
Characterimmersed tube
Vehicles per day71471 (2022)
Technical
Line length2.29 kilometres (1.42 mi)
No. of tracks2 tracks (1 per direction) in train tunnel
No. of lanes4 lanes (2 lanes per direction) in road tunnel with 6 lanes (3 lanes per direction) on exit
Track gauge1,432 mm (4 ft 8+3⁄8 in)
Operating speed70 kilometres per hour (43 mph) (within road tunnel)
50 kilometres per hour (31 mph) (exit and entrance to road tunnel)
Eastern Harbour Crossing
Part of Route 2
Major junctions
West endQuarry Bay
Major intersections2 in total;
Route 4 at Quarry Bay
East endLam Tin (near Cha Kwo Ling)
Location
CountryChina
Special administrative regionHong Kong
Major citiesKwun Tong, Quarry Bay
Highway system
Eastern Harbour Crossing
Traditional Chinese東區海底隧道
Simplified Chinese东区海底隧道
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinDōngqū Hǎidǐ Suìdào
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationDūngkēui Hóidái Seuihdouh
Jyutpingdung1 keoi1 hoi2 dai2 seoi6 dou6

The Eastern Harbour Crossing (Chinese: 東區海底隧道), abbreviated as "EHC" (Chinese: 東隧), is a combined road-rail tunnel that crosses beneath Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. Opened on 21 September 1989, it is the second harbour-crossing tunnel built and the longest amongst the three. It connects Quarry Bay on Hong Kong Island and Cha Kwo Ling in Kowloon East.

History

Kowloon Entrance to the Eastern Harbour Crossing

Initially, the Government of Hong Kong had plans to build a bridge across the eastern portion of the harbour but due to fears of the bridge blocking planes landing at Kai Tak airport, this was shelved in favour of a tunnel.

In 1986, the New Hong Kong Tunnel Company Limited won the bidding for this contract, and was given the right to run the road tunnel on a 30-year franchisee, and the train tunnel on an 18-years-and-6 months franchisee counting from the first rail operating date. Construction started on 25 September 1986, and was commissioned on 21 September 1989, four months earlier than the original planned finishing date. The first person to cross the tunnel was the then-Governor of Hong Kong Sir David Wilson.

Opening Plaque unveiled by the Prince of Wales Charles in 1989

The tunnel was officially opened by the then Prince of Wales Charles on the 8 November of the same year during his and Princess of Wales Diana's Royal Tour to Hong Kong.

In February 2008, the 18-and-6 months franchisse for the train tunnel expired and was transferred to the government. The government continued leasing the tunnel to the MTR Corporation until 2013, when it was acquired by the MTR Corporation for only HK$1,000, a deal made in the 2000 when the MTR Corporation was undergoing its partial privatisation process.

On 7 August 2016, the 30-year franchisee for the road tunnel expired and the ownership was transferred to the government. The Eastern Harbour Crossing Ordinance was repealed alongside the franchisee's expiry and is instead replaced by the Road Tunnels (Government) Ordinance as the tunnel is now owned by the government. Pacific Infrastructure Limited was granted a new contract to continue operating the tunnel.

On 27 August 2023, the HKeToll was implemented for the Eastern Harbour Crossing. The toll plaza on the Kowloon side was subsequently demolished gradually.

Tunnel Composition

The tunnel consists of two components, the road part and the rail part:

Usage

The Eastern Harbour Crossing is the second most-used tunnel in Hong Kong.

Year Total Traffic Average Daily Traffic
2022 26,087,021 71,471
2021 28,988,802 79,421
2020 26,376,844 72,068
2019 28,823,264 78,968
2018 28,485,605 78,043
2017 28,173,747 77,188
2016 27,730,541 75,767
2015 27,546,065 75,469
2014 26,657,699 73,035
2013 26,317,796 72,104
2012 25,883,548 70,720
2011 25,374,790 69,520
2010 24,648,289 67,530
2009 22,990,195 62,987
2008 23,137,619 63,218
2007 23,361,921 64,005
2006 22,268,743 61,010
2005 23,310,701 63,865
2004 26,893,049 73,478
2003 26,018,772 71,284
2002 26,789,599 73,396
2001 27,227,360 74,596
2000 26,435,435 72,228
1999 25,116,703 68,813
1998 25,914,641 70,999
1997 31,321,427 85,812
1996 32,256,922 88,134
1995 31,530,828 86,386
1994 31,778,701 87,065
1993 29,192,003 79,978
1992 24,983,737 68,262
1991 17,794,630 48,752
1990 11,733,837 32,147
1989 2,326,493 23,035

Tunnel Tolls

Tolls are collected by HKeToll in both directions on both sides.

Current Tolls

Category Vehicle Type Tolls
1 Motor cycles & motor tricycles HK$8-16
2 Private cars HK$20-40
3 Taxis HK$25
4 Public and Private light buses HK$50
5 Light goods vehicles
6 Medium goods vehicles
7 Heavy goods vehicles
8 Public and Private Single-decked buses
9 Public and Private Double-decked buses
10 Each additional axle in excess of two Free

Historical Tolls

Category Vehicle Type 21 September 1989
to
31 December 1997 		1 January 1998
to
30 April 2005 		1 May 2005
to
16 February 2019

17 February 2019
to
1 August 2023

2 August 2023
to
27 August 2023

(4am)

27 August 2023
(5am)
to
17 December 2023
(5am)

From
17 December 2023
(5am)

1 Motor cycles & motor tricycles HK$5 HK$8 HK$13 HK$8-16
2 Private cars HK$10 HK$15 HK$25 HK$30 HK$20-40
3 Taxis HK$25 HK$25
4 Public and Private light buses HK$15 HK$23 HK$38 HK$50
5 Light goods vehicles
6 Medium goods vehicles HK$20 HK$30 HK$50
7 Heavy goods vehicles HK$30 HK$45 HK$75 HK$50
8 Single-decked buses Non-franchised HK$20 HK$30 HK$50 HK$50
Franchised Free
9 Double-decked buses Non-franchised HK$30 HK$45 HK$75 HK$75 HK$50
Franchised Free
10 Each additional axle in excess of two Franchised buses HK$10 HK$15 HK$25 Free Free
Other Vehicles HK$25

Interchanges

Eastern Harbour Crossing
Westbound exits Exit number Eastbound exits
End of Route 2
intersects with Island Eastern Corridor
End Eastern Harbour Crossing Start Eastern Harbour Crossing
Tai Koo Shing,Sai Wan Ho, Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan,Siu Sai Wan, Stanley, Shek O
Island Eastern Corridor 		1A no exit
Quarry Bay, North Point, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, Aberdeen
Island Eastern Corridor 		1B no exit
no exit 1C Tseung Kwan O, Lam Tin Interchange
Tseung Lam Highway
Eastern Harbour Crossing
Start Eastern Harbour Crossing End Eastern Harbour Crossing
continues as Lei Yue Mun Road

Transport

Main article: List of bus routes in Hong Kong § Eastern Harbour Crossing

As of 2018, there are 46 bus routes passing through the tunnel.

Controversies

In June 2005, CITIC decided to raise the toll for using Eastern Harbour Crossing from HK$15 to HK$25 for private vehicles and up to 67% for other classes of vehicles, under the fare adjustment mechanism derived from the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. This increase aroused criticisms that the model was detrimental to the public interest, with the increase shifting more traffic to the already congested Cross-Harbour Tunnel.

Notes

  1. Toll-varying
  2. Toll-varying
  3. Including special purpose vehicles of a permitted gross vehicle weight not exceeding 5.5 tonnes
  4. Including special purpose vehicles (other than an articulated vehicle) of a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding 5.5 tonnes but not exceeding 24 tonnes
  5. Including special purpose vehicle (other than an articulated vehicle) of a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding 24 tonnes
  6. Toll fees are exempted for franchaised buses
  7. Toll fees are exempted for franchaised buses
  8. Toll-varying
  9. Toll-varying
  10. HK$15 for non-passenger carrying taxis using manual toll
  11. Including special purpose vehicles of a permitted gross vehicle weight not exceeding 5.5 tonnes
  12. Including special purpose vehicles (other than an articulated vehicle) of a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding 5.5 tonnes but not exceeding 24 tonnes
  13. Including special purpose vehicle (other than an articulated vehicle) of a permitted gross vehicle weight exceeding 24 tonnes

See also

References

  1. "Transport in Hong Kong – Tunnels and Bridges". Transport Department of the Government of Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
  2. . Transport Department of the Government of Hong Kong https://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_5010/contact_tunnels_control_areas_operators_revised.pdf. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. "Connecting HK Island to Kowloon 1961 report proposing a bridge or tunnel? – The Industrial History of Hong Kong Group". industrialhistoryhk.org. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Hong Kong e-Legislation". www.elegislation.gov.hk. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  5. ^ "東網光影：89年東隧通車 專營權去年屆滿". on.cc東網 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 3 September 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  6. "值15億東隧鐵路贈港鐵 - 東方日報". orientaldaily.on.cc. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  7. "Hong Kong's Eastern Harbour Tunnel set for new HKeToll system on Sunday". 24 August 2023.
  8. "Toll Rates of Road Tunnels and Lantau Link". Transport Department. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  9. "Toll Rates of Road Tunnels". Transport Department. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  10. "Toll Rates of Road Tunnels". Transport Department. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  11. "Time-varying Toll Plans Summary Table" (PDF). Transport Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  12. Ng, Dennis (4 May 2005). "Toll hike ignites call for government to take control". The Standard. Archived from the original on 16 October 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2006.

External links

Preceded by
Southern Terminus 		Hong Kong Route 2

Eastern Harbour Crossing 		Succeeded by
Lei Yue Mun Road
Major road tunnels in Hong Kong
On Hong Kong Island
Crossings of
Victoria Harbour
In Kowloon and New Kowloon
Between New Kowloon and
the New Territories
In the New Territories
α. ^ Entirely in the New Territories, but all access roads on one side pass through New Kowloon.
Italics indicate that a tunnel is under construction.
Tunnel crossings of the Victoria Harbour
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Western Harbour Crossing
 Cross-Harbour Tunnel
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Tseung Kwan O line between Yau Tong and Quarry Bay
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