Hong Kong will continue to accelerate the implementation of a series of railway, major road and smart green transport projects outlined in its “Hong Kong Major Transport Infrastructure Development Blueprint”, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said on Sunday.
Writing in his weekly blog, Chan said the special administrative region government will complete the remaining sections of Route 6, the Sha Tin T4 main road and the Northern Metropolis Highway in the coming years. Upon completion, the total length of major roads is expected to increase by 46 percent -- from about 260 kilometers to nearly 380 km.
Railway network projects are due to be completed by 2034 or earlier, expanding the city’s rail network by 44 percent to nearly 390 km.
Chan said a smart, green and efficient transport infrastructure network plays a vital role in continuously improving residents’ quality of life and promoting socio-economic development. It also enhances Hong Kong’s overall competitiveness, such as bolstering economic integration with the Chinese mainland, especially the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, forming a key part of actively aligning with national development strategies.
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The finance chief said the SAR will push ahead with the construction of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu to Qianhai), targeting completion by 2034 and operations a year later.
Transport networks are included as a factor in assessing urban competitiveness by several surveys. Chan cited the 2025 Time Out index which, based on local ratings of buses, railways and trams, ranked Hong Kong’s public transport system first globally.
The Yau Ma Tei Section of the Central Kowloon Route -- an east-west artery across Kowloon -- opened to traffic on Sunday. It cuts travel time during peak hours from 30 minutes to five minutes by bypassing busy urban sections, while eight bus routes using the link will reduce cross-district commuters’ daily round trip travel time by up to 50 minutes.
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According to Chan, another section of the Central Kowloon Route -- the Kowloon Bay Section -- will be completed next year. Together with the Tseung Kwan O–Lam Tin Tunnel, it will form a third east-west trunk road across Kowloon, reducing travel time between Tseung Kwan O and Yau Ma Tei from 65 minutes to 12 minutes.
He said the Transport Strategy Blueprint will be released soon to elaborate on enhancing the application of technology and artificial intelligence, promoting autonomous vehicle development, implementing smart highway management, improving public transport efficiency, and boosting convenient transport links with the Greater Bay Area, driving the development of Hong Kong’s transport network and urban management towards greater intelligence.
Contact the writer at akirawang@chinadaily.com
