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The Transport Department (TD) today (January 22) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented this Sunday (January 25) to facilitate the holding of the Hong Kong Marathon 2015.
The 10-kilometre races will continue to be held on the Island Eastern Corridor, and the finishing point of the 10km race and half and full marathon races will be located at Victoria Park.
Both carriageways of the Island Eastern Corridor between Victoria Park Road and Shau Kei Wan will be closed from 1.30am on Sunday for the 10km race. Traffic along the Island Eastern Corridor will be diverted to King's Road and Shau Kei Wan Road. Traffic to and from the Eastern Harbour Crossing will be diverted to the Sai Wan Ho exit/entrance.
For the half and full marathons, road closures and traffic diversions will be implemented in phases at various locations on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and the New Territories from 11.45pm on Saturday (January 24). The races will start at Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui and take a route via the West Kowloon Highway, Tsing Sha Highway, Stonecutters Bridge, Nam Wan Tunnel, Cheung Tsing Highway, Tsing Ma Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge, Cheung Tsing Highway, Cheung Tsing Tunnel, Tsing Kwai Highway, West Kowloon Highway, Western Harbour Crossing, Connaught Road West flyover, Man Po Street, Man Kwong Street, Man Yiu Street, Lung Wo Road, Fenwick Pier Street, Convention Avenue, Hung Hing Road, Marsh Road flyover, Lockhart Road, and then, in accordance with the route change this year, via Percival Street, Hennessy Road, Yee Wo Street, Sugar Street and will finish at Victoria Park.
In view of the change of race route, about 40 day-time bus routes and 16 overnight bus and green minibus routes, originally operating via Hennessey Road and Yee Wo Street eastbound, will be diverted on Sunday. The TD anticipates that the traffic in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai will be more congested as compared with the past years. Motorists are advised not to drive to the aforesaid areas on Sunday and they should use non-road based public transport as far as possible.
To enable participants to go to Victoria Park and Tsim Sha Tsui to prepare for the races, the first departures of Mass Transit Railway (MTR) services will be advanced on Sunday. The details are as follows:
Lines Directions First departures
from terminal
stations
----- ---------- ----------------
Island Line From Chai Wan to 3.56am
Kennedy Town
Island Line From Kennedy Town 4.08am
to Chai Wan
Tsuen Wan Line From Tsuen Wan to 3.55am
Central
Tsuen Wan Line From Central to 4.22am
Tsuen Wan
Kwun Tong Line From Tiu Keng Leng to 3.46am
Yau Ma Tei
Tseung Kwan O From LOHAS Park to 3.57am
Line North Point
Tseung Kwan O From Po Lam to 4am
Line North Point
East Rail Line From Sheung Shui to 3.25am
Hung Hom
Ma On Shan From Wu Kai Sha to 3.30am
Line Tai Wai
West Rail Line From Tuen Mun to 3.25am
Hung Hom
Tung Chung From Tung Chung to 3.40am
Line Hong Kong
In addition to MTR services, the following special bus services will also be operated for runners going to Victoria Park on Sunday:
Routes Departure times
------ ---------------
R307 3.30am, 4am and
(Tai Po (Ting Tai Road) to 4.30am
Causeway Bay (Causeway Road))
R592 4.10am, 4.30am and
(Ap Lei Chau to Causeway Bay 4.50am
(Moreton Terrace))
R680 3.40am
(Ma On Shan (Kam Ying Court) to
Causeway Bay (Victoria Park))
R930 4.10am
(Tsuen Wan (Discovery Park Bus
Terminus) to Causeway Bay
(Causeway Road))
R948 4am
(Tsing Yi (Cheung Wang Estate)
to Causeway Bay (Victoria Park))
R962 3.45am, 4.05am and
(Tuen Mun (Lung Mun Oasis) 4.25am
to Causeway Bay
(Moreton Terrace))
R969 3.40am and 4.10am
(Tin Shui Wai Town Centre
to Causeway Bay
(Moreton Terrace))
In connection with road closures for the marathon, a total of about 190 bus routes and 30 green minibus routes in the territory will be diverted or suspended. Affected bus routes include cross-harbour routes using the Eastern Harbour Crossing and Western Harbour Crossing, airport routes and routes travelling along the Island Eastern Corridor and in Yau Tsim Mong, Central and Western as well as Causeway Bay Districts. The bus termini at MTR Tin Hau Station, Expo Drive East, Whitfield Road, To Wah Road in Jordan and Canton Road will be suspended and relocated.
Bus stops, taxi stands, public light bus/green minibus stands, roadside parking spaces and private car parks within the closed roads will also be suspended.
The Hong Kong-bound stretch of the Western Harbour Crossing will be closed from 12.45am on Sunday until the end of all marathon races and re-opening of roads. Motorists heading for Hong Kong Island are advised to use other tunnels.
Tourists going to the China Ferry Terminal or MTR Kowloon Station are advised to plan their journey early to avoid any delay caused by road closures and traffic diversions.
The commencement of Chater Road pedestrian precinct in Central will be postponed to 3pm or when the major roads on Hong Kong Island are re-opened to vehicular traffic. Road closures in the pedestrian precincts on Lockhart Road, East Point Road and Great George Street in Causeway Bay will be extended from 12.01am on Sunday till midnight on the same day. The roads will be re-opened to all vehicular traffic from 12.01am on Monday (January 26).
Taxi and public light bus drivers who go to Wan Chai North for gasoline refilling are advised to take note of the road closures in the area.
Members of the public planning to go to the affected areas are advised to allow more time for travelling and stay alert to the latest traffic news on radio and television. They are advised to use non-road public transport as far as possible. In case of traffic congestion, motorists are urged to exercise patience and follow the instructions of the Police.
Details of the specific traffic and transport arrangements are available at the TD's website (www.td.gov.hk). For further enquiries, please call 1823.
Ends/Thursday, January 22, 2015
Issued at HKT 21:08
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