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The Transport Department (TD) today (January 13) reminded the public that special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented this Sunday (January 17) to facilitate the holding of the Hong Kong Marathon 2016.
The 10-kilometre races will continue to be held on the Island Eastern Corridor this year and the finishing point of the 10km race and half and full marathon races will be located at Victoria Park.
Both directions of the 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 in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories from 11.45pm on Saturday (January 16). The races will start at Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. New race routes will be adopted to make use of Nathan Road (Tsim Sha Tsui to Argyle Street section), Argyle Street, Cherry Street, Lin Cheung Road, 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 Yiu Street, Lung Wo Road, Fenwick Pier Street, Convention Avenue, Hung Hing Road, Marsh Road flyover, Lockhart Road, Percival Street, Hennessy Road, Yee Wo Street and Sugar Street, and will finish at Victoria Park.
In connection with road closures for the marathon, a total of about 220 bus routes and about 40 green minibus routes will be diverted or suspended. Affected bus routes include cross-harbour routes using the Eastern Harbour Crossing and the Western Harbour Crossing, airport routes and routes travelling along the Island Eastern Corridor and bus routes operating along Nathan Road and Arygle Street in Yau Tsim Mong and in the Central and Western, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay districts. The bus termini at MTR Tin Hau Station, Expo Drive East, Central Ferry Piers, Wan Chai North, To Wah Road in Jordan, China Ferry Terminal Bus Terminus and Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui will be suspended and relocated.
Due to the use of new race routes including Nathan Road northbound between Tsim Sha Tsui and Argyle Street, Nathan Road southbound between Tsim Sha Tsui and Gascoigne Road Flyover and Argyle Street for the half and full marathon in Kowloon this year, the road closure in Yau Tsim Mong area is extensive. Traffic heading to and from the area (west of Nathan Road and south of Argyle Street) will be restricted to Prince Edward and Tsim Sha Tsui from 4.30am to 10am on the race day. Meanwhile, the public transport service in the Yau Tsim Mong area will be subject to extensive adjustments. The public heading to Mong Kok West, Jordan and Tsim Sha Tsui are advised to switch to using railway services.
Similar to last year, Hennessy Road eastbound between Percival Street and Yee Wo Street and Yee Wo Street eastbound will be closed and continue to be used as the race route. Public transport services operating along Hennessy Road and Yee Wo Street (North Point bound) will also be diverted to other roads on the race day.
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 Line From Wu Kai Sha to 3.30am
Tai Wai
West Rail Line From Tuen Mun to 3.25am
Hung Hom
Tung Chung Line From Tung Chung to 3.40am
Hong Kong
In addition to MTR services, 17 special bus services will also be operated for runners going to Victoria Park and Tsim Sha Tsui on Sunday.
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.
The commencement of pedestrian precincts on Chater Road in Central and Lockhart Road, East Point Road and Great George Street in Causeway Bay will be postponed to 3pm or when the major roads on Hong Kong Island are re-opened to vehicular traffic.
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.
Due to the road closures, the TD anticipates that the traffic at locations will be more significantly congested when compared with last year, including the following:
- Yau Tsim Mong area including the vicinity of Nathan Road and Arygle Street, Wylie Road, Gascoigne Road Flyover, West Kowloon Highway and Cross Harbour Tunnel (both directions), and the chance of having long traffic queues along Gascoigne Flyover and West Kowloon Highway would be high;
- Island North, Causeway Bay and Wan Chai areas, including Victoria Park Road, King's Road, Shau Kei Wan Road, Gloucester Road, Connaught Road Central, Queensway, Central Ferry Pier areas and Aberdeen Tunnel (Wan Chai bound); and
- Kowloon bound Lantau Link and North West Tsing Yi Interchange.
Members of the public planning to go to the affected areas are advised to allow more time to get to their destinations and stay alert to the latest traffic news on radio and television. They are advised to use rail services as far as possible and plan their journeys ahead. In case of traffic congestion, motorists are urged to exercise patience and follow the instructions of the Police.
Members of the public can call 1823 or browse the TD website www.td.gov.hk for details.
Ends/Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:10
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