Following is a question by the Hon Stanley Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (March 19):

Question:

     It is learnt that the continued population growth in the Clear Water Bay Road area in recent years, coupled with the large number of people travelling to Sai Kung and Clear Water Bay Beach at weekends, has resulted in serious traffic congestion at the roundabout on Clear Water Bay Road near Ying Yip Road outside Sussex Lodge, Tseung Kwan O (TKO) (the roundabout). Some residents are hoping for the construction of a carriageway connecting Clear Water Bay Road or Tai Au Mun Road to Wan Po Road so that vehicles can be diverted to TKO Area 137, the Cross Bay Link, TKO, and Tseung Kwan O–Lam Tin Tunnel. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the Government has conducted a comprehensive and systematic assessment of traffic flows at the roundabout and along Clear Water Bay Road; if so, whether it can provide specific data and predictive analysis reports on traffic flows in this area for the past five years and the next five years, including information on vehicle types, peak traffic periods, etc.;

(2) whether the Government has considered implementing temporary traffic control measures in the vicinity of the roundabout to alleviate the existing traffic congestion problem; if so, of the specific measures and their implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) whether the Government will assess the feasibility of using a smart traffic system to relieve traffic congestion at the roundabout; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) regarding the request to construct a carriageway connecting Clear Water Bay Road or Tai Au Mun Road to Wan Po Road, whether the relevant government department(s) has/have commenced a feasibility study; if so, of the details, including the current stage and the expected completion date of the study, the time required for the preliminary works of the carriageway project, and the official commencement date of construction; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) whether the Government has currently formulated strategies to promote coordinated development between urban planning and carriageway construction in the areas surrounding Clear Water Bay Road and Tai Au Mun Road?

Reply:

President,

     In respect of the questions raised by the Hon Stanley Li regarding the transport planning in the vicinity of Sussex Lodge in Tseung Kwan O, having consulted the Transport Department (TD) and the Highways Department (HyD), my consolidated reply is as follows.

     Currently, the neighbourhood of Clear Water Bay Road and Tai Au Mun Road is a low-density residential area, primarily connected to the Tseung Kwan O town centre via the Clear Water Bay Road/Ying Yip Road roundabout (i.e. the roundabout in front of the Sussex Lodge). While the traffic on Clear Water Bay Road and Tai Au Mun Road is relatively busy in the morning peak hour (approximately from 7.30am to 8.30am), the vehicular flow is generally smooth in other periods. Based on the traffic impact assessments under other developments in the Tseung Kwan O region submitted in recent years, the Design Flow to Capacity (DFC) ratios of the roundabout in front of Sussex Lodge during the morning peak hour are as follows:
 

Year	DFC ratio (Note) during morning peak hour
2023	0.85
2026	0.92 (estimated)
2031	0.92 (estimated)

Note: DFC ratio shows the operational performance of a roundabout/priority junction. A DFC ratio below 1.0 implies that there is sufficient capacity; above 1.0 implies that the roundabout/priority junction is overloaded.

     As there is so far no large-scale development in the vicinity of Clear Water Bay Road and Tai Au Mun Road under planning in future, the TD, after evaluation, considers that the capacity of the concerned roundabout and its connecting roads remain sufficient to meet the demand. Nevertheless, the TD will closely monitor the situation, and review the relevant traffic demand as well as implement appropriate traffic improvement measures as necessary in keeping with the developments in the area. Based on the TD's on-site traffic surveys, during the morning peak hour, a significant portion of the northbound traffic on Clear Water Bay Road turns left at the roundabout into Hang Hau Road, heading towards the Tseung Kwan O town centre and other destinations. To alleviate the above situation, the TD and the HyD have planned to introduce an exclusive left-turn lane at the roundabout towards Hang Hau Road. This measure will enable the Clear Water Bay Road northbound vehicles to enter Hang Hau Road more quickly without entering the roundabout, thereby reducing the traffic volume circulating inside the roundabout and improving convenience for vehicles traveling in all directions. When this exclusive left-turn lane is introduced, the TD assessed that the DFC ratio of the roundabout in the morning peak hour could be reduced to approximately 0.7 by 2031. The TD and the HyD have commenced the preparatory works in September 2024. Considering that the construction works involve relocating underground utilities and tree transplantation or removal, it is anticipated that the works will be completed by late 2027/early 2028.

     To minimise the impact on the nearby traffic due to the temporary traffic arrangements during the construction works, the works will be carried out in phases. Currently, the HyD is undertaking preliminary excavation for trial pits, discussing with relevant utility undertakers the relocation of underground utilities, and carrying out tree assessments, etc. As different phases of the works involve underground utility relocation and tree transplantation or removal, the TD and the HyD will carefully assess the construction progress and formulate temporary traffic measures for subsequent phases based on the latest traffic conditions.

     On the other hand, the TD has made reference to the traffic management measures at other roundabouts, such as the possibility of installing traffic signals at the concerned roundabout. However, due to site constraints, the roundabout has a relatively small diameter. The roundabout and its connecting roads lack sufficient space to accommodate the vehicular queues for temporary stopping if traffic signals or real-time adaptive traffic signal systems are to be installed. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, the TD will continue to review and consider viable improvement options.

     Regarding the town planning for the peripheral areas of Tseung Kwan O in future, such as the large-scale development project in Tseung Kwan O Area 137, the primary traffic demand to the urban area will be catered by the proposed Tseung Kwan O Line Southern Extension, and the major roads including Wan Po Road, Tseung Kwan O Cross Bay Link and Tseung Kwan O-Lam Tin Tunnel. As such, it is expected that the additional traffic demand would not have significant impact on Clear Water Bay Road or Tai Au Mun Road. The Government currently has no plan to construct a road connecting Tseung Kwan O Area 137 to Clear Water Bay.

Ends/Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:05

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