Smooth traffic in the Times Square area expected
The Transport Department is introducing a series of traffic management and improvement measures to help alleviate the traffic congestion in the vicinity around the Times Square, Causeway Bay.
This series of measures is part of the improvement scheme launched since late 1999 following a comprehensive study conducted by the Department in 1998 on the traffic situation in Causeway Bay and Happy Valley to identify problems which have been causing traffic congestion in the Times Square area.
Introducing these measures at a press briefing held today (Wednesday), Chief Engineer of the Department Mr C W Kwan said, "One of the main ideas behind these schemes is that routes for vehicles to leave the area should not be less than those for entering so that vehicles will not get stuck thus causing traffic congestion in the area."
A new set of traffic light signals to be installed at the junction of Canal Road Flyover Down Ramp/Canal Road East/Sharp Street East will be activated early January next year to regulate vehicles and to allow vehicles to make a left turn to Times Square carpark from Canal Road East direct or vice versa.
In the long term, vehicles will be prohibited, by mid 2000, from turning right onto Canal Road West from Leighton Road westbound and they have to travel via Morrison Hill Road and Sharp Street West. Traffic signals will be installed at the junctions of Morrison Hill Road/Sharp Street West and Canal Road West/Sharp Street West respectively to facilitate turning movements.
The section of Matheson Street between Yiu Wa Street and Leighton Road will be re-routed from northbound to southbound so as to provide an addition exit for vehicles from the Times Square area.
Upon completion around September 2000, a new U-turn loop underneath Canal Road Flyover will provide an alternative route to enter the area via Sharp Street East and Yiu Wa Street.
A gyratory system in Lee Gardens Area including Leighton Road, Hysan Road and Sun Wui Road will be introduced in early 2001 with improvements made to the junction of Leighton Road and Caroline Hill Road and the redesign of the junction of Leighton Road, Percival Street and Hysan Road.
"These measures will help alleviate the traffic congestion at the major junctions in the area. Emergency vehicles will find it easier to reach the area under the new traffic arrangements," said Mr. Kwan.
"For instance, the delay time for vehicles to travel from Leighton Road to Canal Road West during peak hours in 2006 will be reduced from the current 11.5 minutes to 2 minutes per vehicle after improvement measures on Leighton Road and Morrison Road are carried out," he added.
As for pedestrians, a pedestrianisation scheme on Russell Street between Percival Street and Lee Garden Road has been implemented since December 19 and vehicle restriction has been imposed on the section of Jardine's Crescent between Kai Chiu Road and Jardine's Bazaar, said Mr Kwan.
In order to improve pedestrian safety and walking environment, the footway on the north side of Kai Chiu Road is being widened and the design of the junction of Percival Street/Russell Street/Matheson Street will be revised.
Subject to the results of the pedestrianisation scheme on Russell Street and further consultation, traffic calming on the section of Russell Street in front of Times Square will be implemented in December 2000.
Wednesday, December 29, 1999