LCQ9: Traffic safety in road tunnels
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Question:
A number of road tunnels in Hong Kong were completed and commissioned successively between the 1970s and 1980s, including the Cross Harbour Tunnel, the Aberdeen Tunnel, the Kai Tak Tunnel and the Eastern Harbour Crossing. Among them, the Cross Harbour Tunnel has remained in use for over 50 years. Given the heavy usage of road tunnels in Hong Kong, traffic safety in tunnels has aroused public concern. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the fire service installations and equipment provided in existing road tunnels in Hong Kong (including their numbers and types) and the year when their fire alarm systems were last updated, with a tabulated breakdown by road tunnel;
(2) whether the authorities have any plan to further upgrade the ventilation systems and fire service systems of road tunnels in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) as it is learnt that wear and tear of the road surfaces in some road tunnels reappears shortly after repair, how frequently the authorities carry out repair works for various road tunnels, and whether they will step up the review of the road surfacing materials for repairing the road surfaces of tunnels to enhance the durability of their road surfaces; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether the authorities have any specific plans to undertake road re-surfacing works for existing road tunnels, repair tunnel walls and hard shoulders, or replace other equipment/systems; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) as the Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure for the 2018-2019 financial year that the Highways Department would conduct routine inspections of road tunnels once every six months, how frequently the authorities conduct routine inspections for various road tunnels at present?
Reply:
President,
The Government attaches great importance to the safety of road tunnels and ensures the normal operation of tunnel systems and facilities through regular inspections, thereby safeguarding the safety of road users. The co-ordinated reply to the question raised by Member is as follows:
(1) All government road tunnels are currently installed with fire service installations and equipment (FSIs) in accordance with the law and requirements of the Fire Services Department (FSD). The tunnel operators under the Transport Department (TD) conduct routine inspections and preventive maintenance on a regular basis, as well as corrective maintenance as necessary, while the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department exercises strict supervision on the inspections and maintenance works carried out by the tunnel operators. The tunnel operators also engage registered fire service installation contractors, in accordance with the law, to conduct annual inspections on the FSIs to ensure that they are maintained in good working order.
The TD and the tunnel operators have formulated comprehensive contingency plans for fire incidents and provide regular fire-fighting training to the tunnel operators' staff. In the event of a fire in the tunnel, the tunnel operator will immediately take appropriate actions, including promptly reporting to government departments such as the FSD and the TD, activating the ventilation and fire services systems in the tunnel, implementing traffic management and tube closure measures, and assisting in the safe evacuation of motorists in the tunnel, etc. To enhance response efficiency, the TD and the tunnel operators, in collaboration with the FSD, jointly conduct fire drills in each tunnel every six months on average. These drills test the contingency procedures of various parties and the operation of FSIs, etc to ensure that all parties are familiar with the protocols and able to respond promptly to fire incidents. The TD and the tunnel operators will review the contingency plans from time to time and update them as necessary.
Regarding the detailed number of FSIs installed in various government tunnels and the year of the last fire services system upgrade, please refer to Annex 1. Due to variations in design, geographical environment and operational needs, the number of FSIs installed in each tunnel differs.
(2) The Government conducts reviews on the operational condition of ventilation and fire services systems at all government tunnels every year to ensure that they remain in proper and effective operation. According to the latest review of government tunnels, all ventilation and fire services systems are currently effective in meeting fire safety requirements.
The Government has also been undertaking the replacement of the ventilation and fire services systems at government tunnels whenever necessary. Over the past three years, the Government has replaced the fire services systems at Tseung Kwan O Tunnel, Cross-Harbour Tunnel and Shing Mun Tunnels, as well as the ventilation system at Kai Tak Tunnel. Currently, the Government is replacing the ventilation and fire services systems at Aberdeen Tunnel, Tseung Kwan O Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnels, Tate's Cairn Tunnel and Eastern Harbour Crossing. Details of the replacement projects are set out in Annex 2. When planning for the replacement and upgrading of the ventilation and fire services systems, the Government will take into account a number of factors, including their operational condition, serviceable life, supply of spare parts and repair feasibility, and will arrange replacement in an orderly manner. The Government will seek funding approval timely for the replacement projects to ensure the safe, reliable and efficient operation of government tunnels.
(3) The HyD regularly sends staff to inspect the pavement of all road tunnels under its jurisdiction. Depending on the traffic volume and speed limits of the tunnel's connecting road sections, routine inspections are conducted daily or weekly, while detailed inspections are conducted every six months. Based on the inspection findings, the HyD arranges maintenance work in a timely manner to ensure that the road tunnels remain in good condition.
The HyD attaches great importance to the quality of pavement works and has been continuously researching and introducing more durable and environmentally friendly bituminous materials for paving roads, with a view to enhancing pavement quality and reducing maintenance frequency. Since April 1, 2025, the HyD has fully adopted the use of "Highly Modified Stone Mastic Asphalt (HMSMA)", a highly modified bituminous material that has better anti-deformation, anti-aging and anti-fatigue performance than the conventional bituminous materials, for road paving at suitable locations. In particular, "10mm Highly Modified Stone Mastic Asphalt (HMSMA10)", which is commonly used on general roads, has already been adopted on certain suitable sections of tunnel carriageways. In the future, the HyD will apply this material to suitable bituminous pavements having regard to the actual site conditions and needs, with a view to continuously improving the quality of pavements in road tunnels and reducing maintenance frequency, thereby creating a better driving environment for motorists.
In addition, the HyD is exploring the introduction of new materials for repairing existing aged concrete pavements (such as High Tensile Strength repair materials). These materials are expected to enhance pavement durability while shortening the duration of construction for repair works and subsequent maintenance, thereby minimising the impact on traffic caused by repair works.
(4) The HyD continuously conducts regular inspections of road tunnels and, based on the inspection findings, arranges necessary repair works, including pavement maintenance works. Over the past few years, the HyD has completed road resurfacing or bituminous overlay works at various sections of several road tunnels (including the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, Shing Mun Tunnels, and Tseung Kwan O Tunnel, etc) to improve pavement quality of road tunnels. The HyD has planned to continue carrying out road resurfacing works in 2026 on suitable sections of the Western Harbour Crossing, Eastern Harbour Crossing, Lion Rock Tunnel, and the Airport Tunnel connecting the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and the Hong Kong International Airport to optimise pavement quality and enhance driving comfort. Regarding other tunnel facilities (including tunnel walls and concrete profile barriers), the HyD will continue to arrange necessary repair works based on findings from regular inspections and the advice of professionals to maintain the road tunnels in good condition.
(5) To ensure the structural safety of tunnels, the HyD sends staff to conduct inspections every half year to identify obvious damage for further follow-up. Additionally, the HyD conducts General Inspections every two years. For older road tunnels (including the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, Aberdeen Tunnel, Kai Tak Tunnel and Lion Rock Tunnel), the frequency of General Inspections is increased to once every half year to once a year. General Inspections primarily involve close-up observations to thoroughly examine the condition of tunnel structures and their ancillary components. Furthermore, the HyD also regularly engages professionals to carry out Principal Inspections for tunnels, comprehensively evaluating the structural integrity of the tunnels and making recommendations for improvement. During the inspection process, professionals carry out various types of tests on tunnel structures including hammer tapping tests and core sampling of concrete components from different sections for examination and testing, to ensure the overall structural safety of the tunnels. Corresponding repairs will be arranged in a timely manner based on the inspection findings.
Ends/Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Issued at HKT 12:45
Issued at HKT 12:45
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