Legco Finance Committee approves application for expansion of Hiram’s Highway Stage 2 project involving nearly $2.75 billion

_{Artists rendition of the proposed highway near Marina Bay}

The Finance Committee of the Legislative Council yesterday (29/11) approved a funding application of nearly $2.75 billion for the widening of Hiram’s Highway between Marina Bay and Sai Kung Town.

The proposed scope of the project is to widen two sections of Sai Kung Highway with a total length of about 3.5 kilometres between Pak Wai roundabout and Pak Sha Wan and between Pak Sha Wan and Sai Kung Town, from a two-lane unseparated carriageway to a dual two-lane carriageway. In addition, it also involves a 100-metre-long section of Pak Sha Wan section of Hiram’s Highway, an approximately 400-metre-long ordinary road between Yau Ma Po Street and Fuk Man Road, and an approximately 600-metre-long ordinary road between Fuk Man Road and Wai Man Road. There are also plans for a pedestrian subway across Highway Highway in Pak Sha Wan. The cost also includes drainage, waterworks, slope stabilisation, public lighting and noise barriers, etc.

The Highways Department has launched a tender for the design and construction works contract in September 2023, and will award the relevant contract now that the Finance Committee has approved funding. The government departments plan to carry out detailed design and preliminary construction works at the same time after awarding the contract, and fully commence the road widening project in 2026. It is expected that the Tai Mong Tsai Road section will be completed in about 4 years after the start of construction, and the remaining ordinary roads will be completed in 1 to 2 years.

Hiram’s Highway is the only major road connecting Sai Kung with East Kowloon and Tseung Kwan O. The current traffic volume/capacity ratio of Hiram’s Highway and ordinary roads between Marina Bay and Sai Kung Town during peak hours ranges from 1.0 to 1.2, indicating that the traffic volume of this road section has exceeded its designed capacity during certain periods.

The Stage 2 widening project is predicated on the assumption that the relevant road section will experience further congestion, and the traffic volume/capacity ratio during peak hours in 2037 is expected to reach 1.5. Based on the assessment results, upon completion of the project, the journey time from Sai Kung Town centre to Clear Water Bay Road during peak hours will be reduced from the current 35 to 40 minutes to about 20 minutes.