1. Route 6 - Central Kowloon Route 中九龍幹線
This is the biggest highway project under construction in Kowloon, forming the backbone of Route 6. Upon completion, the 4.7km three-lane dual carriageway will facilitate a new shortcut for east-west travel between Yau Ma Tei and Kai Tak. See here for a map of the route.
Journey times are estimated to reduce from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. Almost all of Kowloon's 2 million population are expected to benefit either directly or indirectly. The link will provide faster connections and alleviate congestion on the existing road network.
Estimated Opening Date: ~2025
2. Northern Link Railway 北環綫
(Image credit to Cypp0847 @ Wikimedia)
Further extensions of the MTR network are in the works. Amongst them, the Northern Link appears to be the most significant since the Sha Tin to Central Link completed in 2022.
4 new stations at Kwu Tung, San Tin, Ngau Tam Mei and Au Tau are proposed, connected by a 10.7km railway. This will provide much needed rail access for residents travelling between New Territories North East and North West. The outline route is shown on this map.
The areas are currently home to over 2 million people. Residents currently have to take the bus, taxi or drive themselves.
Further expansion to the North East is currently being reviewed by planners which could extend the line towards to Ta Kwu Ling and Ping Che but this is far from certain.
The feasibility study will be key but I suspect from an engineering standpoint, this should be less technically challenging than recent extensions in the dense urban areas. For an outline route, please refer to page 46 of this document.
The project is expected to be a crucial link for the Northern Metropolis, which is expected to become a growth engine for Hong Kong over the next 15 years thanks to its strategic position bordering Shenzhen.
For more information, you can visit the dedicated website.
Estimated Opening Date: 2027 to 2035
3. Route 11 號幹線
The next highway megaproject is planned to connect New Territories North West with North East Lantau via a 20km expressway. Two new tunnels, the 4.2km Lam Tei Tunnel and the 1.7km Tai Lam Chung Tunnel will be built along with the suspension bridge, Tsing Lung Bridge (explained in point 4).
This project is expected to improve north-south connectivity and alleviate congestion along Tuen Mun Road, Tai Lam Tunnel and Ting Kau Bridge.
The scheme has been discussed since the 1990s so it remains to be seen whether there is sufficient economic justification to finally progress. With the multiple developments in Tuen Mun, Hung Shui Kiu and the Northern Metropolis, I am quietly optimistic that the time has now come.
For more information, please refer to the following map.
At time of writing, I note that an environmental impact assessment has been carried out as of 2022.
Estimated Opening Date: 2035 to 2040
4. Tsing Lung Bridge 青龍大橋
Planned to be a suspension bridge, the structure shall carry Route 11 over water from New Territories West to North East Lantau, directly connecting onto Kap Shui Mun Bridge.
The main span is estimated to be roughly 1.4km, although it is unclear at this stage if it will exceed Tsing Ma Bridge. Once completed, it will become a part of a U-shaped bridge network with the two mentioned bridges, Ting Kau Bridge and Stonecutters Bridge to the south east.
I believe there is a considerable chance of this going ahead. The city is still too reliant on the existing Tsing Ma Bridge as the Tuen Mun-Chep Lap Kok Tunnel is quite a detour, especially for those living in Lantau East. Tsing Lung Bridge could provide a more feasible alternative in case of road incidents, severe weather or major bridge maintenance.
Estimated Opening Date: 2035 to 2040
5. Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link 港深西部鐵路
New Territories West is currently connected by highway to Shenzhen's Nanshan district via the Shenzhen Bay Bridge. To facilitate rail, a new link has long been proposed, set to become the fourth rail border crossing point after Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau and the Hong Kong Express Rail Link.
There is talk of utilising the link to connect Hong Kong International Airport and Shenzhen Bao'an Airport but in my personal opinion, this will be a lower priority.
Estimated Opening Date: 2035 to 2040 (no realistic timetable has been published to date)
Disclaimer: I have no insider information, I did not work in Hong Kong's engineering industry when I wrote this article. This is my own opinion formed from publicly accessible information and my intuition as a professional civil engineer.
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