Traffic around Times Square improved
Traffic at the junction of Leighton Road and Canal Road will be improved when vehicles are banned from turning right from Leighton Road to Canal Road West with effect from this Wednesday (August 16). Vehicles on Leighton Road westbound heading for Canal Road West will be diverted to travel via Morrison Hill Road and Sharp Street West.
Signalised traffic facilities have been installed at the junction of Morrison Hill Road and Sharp Street West and the junction of Canal Road West and Sharp Street West respectively to facilitate turning movement.
The U-turn facility at the junction of Canal Road and Leighton Road has been made open to vehicles to allow them to make a U-turn from Canal Road East to Canal Road West.
Chief Engineer of the Transport Department Mr C W Kwan said at a press briefing held today (August 14) that the above measures were the second of a three-phase traffic management scheme that aimed at improving both the pedestrian environment and traffic flow around the vicinity of the Times Square.
"The measures of this phase will ease the traffic pressure on the junction at Leighton Road and Canal Road which are often packed with vehicles during peak hours," said Mr Kwan.
"It is estimated that the delay time for vehicles traveling from Leighton Road to Canal Road West during peak hours in 2006 will reduce from 10 minutes to 1.5 minutes per vehicle," added he.
"The traffic condition on Canal Road flyover has much improved after the implementation of the first phase of the scheme in which the junction of Canal Road East downramp, Canal Road East and Sharp Street East has been signalized early this year," said Mr Kwan.
"Vehicular queues often end on Canal Road flyover near Elizabeth House instead of Gloucester Road or even Island East Corridor as they turned out in the past."
Mr Kwan said that the traffic condition in the whole area should get much better when all the measures were implemented gradually.
Measures under planning in the third phase include the traffic re-routeing of Matheson Street (south of Yiu Wa Street) from northbound to southbound and the section of Sharp Street East from eastbound to westbound, a gyratory system in the Lee Gardens Area concerning Leighton Road, Hysan Road and Sun Wui Road, as well as the installation of the U-turn facilities underneath Canal Road flyover to allow vehicles to turn from Canal Road West to Canal Road East.
"The traffic diversions will provide more ways for vehicles to get out of the Times Square area so as to avoid causing traffic congestion," said Mr Kwan.
"The department will decide whether to implement the third phase measures pending on the result of the second-phase measures."
As for the pedestrians, Russell Street between Pervial Street and Lee Garden Road and Jardine's Crescent between Kai Chiu Road and Jardine's Bazaar have been designated as pedestrian zones.
In order to further improve the pedestrian environment and safety, traffic calming and landscaping measures will be introduced on Russell Street between Canal Road East and Matheson Street late this year and mid 2001 respectively.
"Except for taxis or those with permits, all vehicles will be banned between 12 noon and midnight from entering the Russell Street section which will have colour block paving and widened footpaths.
The above traffic scheme was launched in late 1999 following a comprehensive study on the traffic situation in Causeway Bay and Happy Valley conducted by the Transport Department in 1998 to identify the problems that have been causing traffic congestion at the Times Square area.
End/Monday, August 14, 2000
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