TD to launch new right-turn facility at Queensway
The Transport Department (TD) announces that the new right-turn facility on eastbound Queensway for vehicles heading Cotton Tree Drive will be launched from 10 am on Sunday (January 5).
TD's Senior Engineer, Mr Luk Wing-cheong, said today (January 2) that the right-turn facility was one of the key traffic improvement schemes in the near term to alleviate the traffic congestion problem in Central.
He said: "With this, vehicles from westbound Drake Street, Chater Road, Lambeth Walk etc. can turn right direct onto Cotton Tree Drive from eastbound Queensway, rather than making an U-turn at the Cotton Tree Drive/ Harcourt Road junction."
"The new arrangement facilitates more simplified signal control at the Cotton Tree Drive/ Harcourt Road junction and allows more green time to traffic on both Cotton Tree Drive and Harcourt road so as to alleviate the congestion at this locality. Implementation date of the signal modification will be announced later," he added.
Currently heavy traffic congestion is frequently observed at Cotton Tree Drive/ Harcourt Road junction as well as on eastbound Connaught Road Central. Analysis shows that the congestion is mainly caused by insufficient capacity at the aforesaid junction to handle the traffic flows.
He said: "Together with traffic generated from the mega developments on reclamation like Hong Kong Station Phase II and the delayed completion of Central Reclamation Phase III and the associated road network, some short-term measures are required to alleviate the congestion and to control the traffic condition within an acceptable level."
He said that TD expected that the new right-turn facility on Queensway and the signal improvement at the Cotton Tree Drive/ Harcourt Road junction could effectively alleviate the congestions.
He stressed that TD would closely monitor the traffic situations on the implementation and would make adjustments as necessary.
Most of the short-term measures have already been in place. They include the junction widening at Pedder Street/ Queen's Road Central and Connaught Road Central/ Rumsey Street, relocation of taxi activities on Pedder Street, Ice House Street 2-way rerouting, enhancement of directional signs and road markings on Connaught Road Central etc.
End/Thursday, January 2, 2003