Status Active Vehicles per day 116,754 No. of tracks 2 per tube, 4 in total Owner Government of Hong Kong End Hong Kong | Operator Serco Group (HK) Ltd Line length 1.86 kilometres Opened 2 August 1972 Start Hung Hom | |
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Location Beneath Victoria Harbour, between Hung Hom and Causeway Bay Similar Western Harbour Crossing, Eastern Harbour Crossing, Hung Hom Station, Admiralty Station, Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge | ||
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.
Contents
Map of Cross Harbour Tunnel, Hong Kong
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 116,753 daily vehicles in 2013.
History
Constructed by a private company and operated under a 30-year franchise, the 1.8 km long tunnel crossing opened in 1972, providing the first road link between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Prior to the opening of the tunnel, cross-harbour vehicular traffic depended on ferries and for passengers, the Star Ferry.
The tunnel links the main financial and commercial districts on both sides of Victoria Harbour, connecting Kellett Island (a former island now connected to Hong Kong Island by reclamation), with a reclaimed site at Hung Hom Bay, Kowloon. The toll plaza is located at the Hung Hom end of the tunnel, and has 14 toll booths.
It was administered by The Cross-Harbour Tunnel Company Ltd until August 1999, when the operation franchise agreement expired and the government assumed control. Since 1 November 2010, the tunnel is managed, operated and maintained by Serco on contract basis.
Evolution of fares
The tunnel generates approximately HK$700 million in annual toll revenue.
Transport
Bus routes that pass through the tunnel: