Contract for Central-Wan Chai Bypass - Tunnel (Slip Road 8 Section) signed
The Highways Department today (March 14) signed a $4,792 million contract with China State Construction Engineering (HK) Limited for the Central-Wan Chai Bypass (CWB) Project. The contract entails the construction of a 300-metre-long section of twin box tunnel under the seabed of Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter and a 150m-long slip road tunnel beneath the existing Victoria Park Road and the northern part of Victoria Park.
The Director of Highways, Mr Lau Ka-keung, said at the contract signing ceremony that the awarding of the contract, which is the last contract for tunnel construction under the CWB Project, marked an important milestone in the implementation of the Project.
"With the commissioning of the CWB, the travelling time between Central and the Island Eastern Corridor (IEC) at North Point via the bypass will take only five minutes. It will relieve the present traffic congestion along Connaught Road Central, Harcourt Road and Gloucester Road," said Mr Lau.
Mr Lau added that throughout the project implementation of the CWB Project, the Highways Department had exercised its best efforts to protect the harbour and minimise the temporary reclamation in compliance with the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance.
The CWB is a 4.5-kilometre-long dual three-lane carriageway with a 3.7km-long tunnel connecting Central to the IEC at North Point via Wan Chai and Causeway Bay. The construction works for the CWB Project have commenced in phases since 2009 for commissioning in 2017.
Ends/Thursday, March 14, 2013