Special traffic arrangements for Sunday Marathon

Some territory-wide road closure and traffic diversion measures involving more than 50 roads and 100 bus and minibus routes will be implemented this Sunday (February 4) to facilitate the holding of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon.

The roads or sections of the roads to be closed in phases starting from 00.01 am on February 4 includes Salisbury Road, Nathan Road, Canton Road, Lin Cheung Road, West Kowloon Highway, Tsing Kwai Highway, Cheung Tsing Tunnel, Cheung Tsing Highway, Lautau Link, Ting Kau Bridge, Western Harbour Tunnel, Connaught Road Central, Harcourt Road, Tim Mei Avenue, Lung Wui Road and several streets around the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre.

A Transport Department spokesman reminded members of the public to plan early for their journey to avoid delay caused by diversion of bus and mini-bus routes in the morning and early afternoon on that day. He added that parking spaces, car parks, and bus, minibus and taxi stops on the road sections concerned would be temporarily suspended or relocated.

"To find out the details of bus route diversion and bus stop suspension or relocation, members of the public may browse the homepage of the department at /index.aspx?section=13&lang=1," he said.

"We will be monitoring the traffic situation this Sunday and adjustments will be made whenever necessary," added the spokesman.

The southbound tube of the Western Harbour Tunnel is among the first to be closed, and the closure will take effect right after mid-night. Before the tube is to be re-opened to traffic around 2 pm on February 4, the northbound tube will be converted to two-way traffic.

West Kowloon Highway (southbound) and the roads and bridges in Tsing Ma Control Area including Ting Kau Bridge (southbound) and upper deck of Lautau Link (Kowloon bound) will be closed between midnight and 3 pm. The closure will not affect Kowloon traffic heading for Lautau.

However, motorists from Lautau heading for Kowloon have to travel via the lower deck of Lautau Link and those heading for Tuen Mun or Yuen Long via the lower deck of Lautau Link, Ting Kau Bridge, Tuen Mun Road and Tai Lam Tunnel.

Traffic from Tuen Mun or Yuen Long heading for Lautau will be diverted to travel via Tuen Mun Road (Ting Kau Section), Tsuen Wan Road, Tsing Tsuen Road, Fung Shue Wo Road, Tsing Yi Road West, Cheung Tsing Highway before reaching Lautau Link.

While traffic from Kowloon heading for Tuen Mun will remain unaffected, traffic from the opposite direction will have to be diverted via Tuen Mun Road, Tsuen Wan Road and Kwai Chung Road.

Road closure in West Kowloon will be carried out in phases starting from 2 am on February 4. Slip roads connecting West Kowloon Highway will be closed between 2 am and 2 pm while the section of Nathan Road (between Peking Road and Salisbury Road) and the section of Salisbury Road (between Kowloon Park Drive and Chatham Road South) will become inaccessible to traffic from 3.30 am to 8 am and from 5.50 am to 8 am respectively. When it reaches 6.30 am, more road sections including those of Canton Road, Nathan Road and Salisbury Road will be blocked and remain closed till 8 am.

From 3.30 am to 8 am, all franchised buses on Nathan Road southbound heading towards Tsim Sha Tsui will be diverted into Public Square Street or Jordan Road westbound while those on Salisbury Road heading for Nathan Road northbound will be diverted into Kowloon Park Drive northbound, Canton Road northbound, Jordan Road eastbound and Nathan Road northbound.

Between 6.30 am and 8 am, all franchised buses on Jordan Road heading for Star Ferry bus terminus will be diverted onto Lin Cheung Road, Wui Cheung Road and Jordan Road Ferry bus terminus. Those leaving the Jordan Road Ferry bus terminus will have to turn left onto Canton Road northbound.

All cross-harbour franchised buses from Hong Kong Island will be diverted onto the slip road leading from West Kowloon Highway north bound to Lin Cheung Road southbound.

All franchised buses in Star ferry bus terminus will not be permitted to leave until the roads concerned are re-opened.

Road closure in Hong Kong Island will not be carried out until 4 am. Traffic diversion is also required.

End/Thursday, February 1, 2001