The Eastern Harbour Crossing (), abbreviated as "EHC" () is a combined road-rail tunnel that crosses beneath Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. Opened on 21 September 1989, it is the second harbour-crossing tunnel built and the longest amongst the three. It connects Quarry Bay on Hong Kong Island and Cha Kwo Ling in Kowloon East.
History
thumb|Kowloon Entrance to the Eastern Harbour Crossing
Initially, the Government of Hong Kong had plans to build a bridge across the eastern portion of the harbour but due to fears of the bridge blocking planes landing at Kai Tak airport, this was shelved in favour of a tunnel.
In 1986, the New Hong Kong Tunnel Company Limited won the bidding for this contract, and was given the right to run the road tunnel on a 30-year franchise, and the train tunnel on an 18-years-and-6 months franchisee counting from the first rail operating date. Construction started on 25 September 1986, and was commissioned on 21 September 1989, four months earlier than the original planned finishing date. The first person to cross the tunnel was the then-Governor of Hong Kong Sir David Wilson.
thumb|Opening Plaque unveiled by the Prince of Wales Charles in 1989
The tunnel was officially opened by the then Prince of Wales Charles on the 8th of November of the same year during his and Princess of Wales Diana's Royal Tour to Hong Kong.
On 7 August 2016, the 30-year franchisee for the road tunnel expired and the ownership was transferred to the government. The Eastern Harbour Crossing Ordinance was repealed alongside the franchisee's expiry and is instead replaced by the Road Tunnels (Government) Ordinance as the tunnel is now owned by the government.
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="90%"
|- align=center
!width=20%|Year
!width=40%|Total Traffic
!width=40%|Average Daily Traffic
|-
| 2022 || 26,087,021 || 71,471
|-
| 2021 || 28,988,802 || 79,421
|-
| 2020 || 26,376,844 || 72,068
|-
| 2019 || 28,823,264 || 78,968
|-
| 2018 || 28,485,605 || 78,043
|-
| 2017 || 28,173,747 || 77,188
|-
| 2016 || 27,730,541 || 75,767
|-
| 2015 || 27,546,065 || 75,469
|-
| 2014 || 26,657,699 || 73,035
|-
| 2013 || 26,317,796 || 72,104
|-
| 2012 || 25,883,548 || 70,720
|-
| 2011 || 25,374,790 || 69,520
|-
| 2010 || 24,648,289 || 67,530
|-
| 2009 || 22,990,195 || 62,987
|-
| 2008 || 23,137,619 || 63,218
|-
| 2007 || 23,361,921 || 64,005
|-
| 2006 || 22,268,743 || 61,010
|-
| 2005 || 23,310,701 || 63,865
|-
| 2004 || 26,893,049 || 73,478
|-
| 2003 || 26,018,772 || 71,284
|-
| 2002 || 26,789,599 || 73,396
|-
| 2001 || 27,227,360 || 74,596
|-
| 2000 || 26,435,435 || 72,228
|-
| 1999 || 25,116,703 || 68,813
|-
| 1998 || 25,914,641 || 70,999
|-
| 1997 || 31,321,427 || 85,812
|-
| 1996 || 32,256,922 || 88,134
|-
| 1995 || 31,530,828 || 86,386
|-
| 1994 || 31,778,701 || 87,065
|-
| 1993 || 29,192,003 || 79,978
|-
| 1992 || 24,983,737 || 68,262
|-
| 1991 || 17,794,630 || 48,752
|-
| 1990 || 11,733,837 || 32,147
|-
| 1989 || 2,326,493 || 23,035
|-
|}
Tunnel Tolls
Tolls are collected by HKeToll in both directions on both sides.
Current Tolls
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! align="center" | Category
! align="center" | Vehicle Type
! align="center" | Tolls
|-
| align="center" | 1
| align="center" | Motor cycles & motor tricycles
| align="center" | HK$8–16
|-
| align="center" | 2
| align="center" | Private cars
| align="center" | HK$20–40
|-
| align="center" | 3
| align="center" | Taxis
| align="center" | HK$25
|-
| align="center" | 4
| align="center" | Public and Private light buses
| rowspan="6" align="center" | HK$50
|-
| align="center" | 5
| align="center" | Light goods vehicles
|-
| align="center" | 6
| align="center" | Medium goods vehicles
|-
| align="center" | 7
| align="center" | Heavy goods vehicles
|-
| align="center" | 8
| align="center" | Public and Private Single-decked buses
|-
| align="center" | 9
| align="center" | Public and Private Double-decked buses
|-
| align="center" | 10
| align="center" | Each additional axle in excess of two
| align="center" | Free
|}
Historical Tolls
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! align="center" | Category
! colspan="2" align="center" | Vehicle Type
! align="center" | 21 September 1989<br>to<br>31 December 1997
! align="center" | 1 January 1998<br>to<br>30 April 2005
! align="center" | 1 May 2005<br>to<br>16 February 2019
! align="center" | 17 February 2019<br>to<br>1 August 2023
! align="center" |2 August 2023<br>to<br>27 August 2023
(4am)
! align="center" | 27 August 2023<br>(5am)<br>to<br>17 December 2023<br>(5am)
! align="center" | From<br>17 December 2023<br>(5am)
|-
| align="center" | 1
| colspan="2" align="center" | Motor cycles & motor tricycles
| align="center" | HK$5
| align="center" | HK$8
| colspan="4" align="center" | HK$13
| align="center" | HK$8–16
|-
| align="center" | 2
| colspan="2" align="center" | Private cars
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$10
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$15
| colspan="2" align="center" | HK$25
| colspan="2" align="center" | HK$30
| align="center" | HK$20–40
|-
| align="center" | 3
| colspan="2" align="center" | Taxis
| colspan="2" align="center" | HK$25
| colspan="3" align="center" | HK$25
|-
| align="center" | 4
| colspan="2" align="center" | Public and Private light buses
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$15
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$23
| colspan="4" rowspan="2" align="center" |HK$38
| rowspan="2" align="center" |HK$50
|-
| align="center" | 5
| colspan="2" align="center" | Light goods vehicles
|-
| align="center" | 6
| colspan="2" align="center" | Medium goods vehicles
| align="center" | HK$20
| align="center" | HK$30
| colspan="5" align="center" | HK$50
|-
| align="center" | 7
| colspan="2" align="center" | Heavy goods vehicles
| align="center" | HK$30
| align="center" | HK$45
| colspan="4" align="center" | HK$75
| align="center" | HK$50
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center" | 8
| rowspan="2" align="center" | Single-decked buses
| align="center" | Non-franchised
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$20
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$30
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$50
| colspan="4" align="center" | HK$50
|-
| align="center" | Franchised
| colspan="4" align="center" | Free
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center" | 9
| rowspan="2" align="center" | Double-decked buses
| align="center" | Non-franchised
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$30
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$45
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$75
| colspan="3" align="center" | HK$75
| align="center" | HK$50
|-
| align="center" | Franchised
| colspan="4" align="center" |Free
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center" | 10
| rowspan="2" align="center" | Each additional axle in excess of two
| align="center" | Franchised buses
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$10
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$15
| rowspan="2" align="center" | HK$25
| colspan="2" align="center" | Free
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" align="center" | Free
|-
| align="center" | Other Vehicles
| colspan="2" align="center" | HK$25
|}
Interchanges
{| border=1 cellpadding=2 style="margin-left:1em; margin-bottom: 1em; color: black; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" class="wikitable"
|- align="center" style="background:#00A6EC; color: white;font-size:120%;"
| colspan="3" | Eastern Harbour Crossing 25px
|- align="center" style="background:#000000; color:white;"
| width="250px"|Westbound exits
| width="50px"|Exit number
| width="250px"|Eastbound exits
|- align="center"
| colspan="3" style="background: #ececec; color: black;" class="table-na" | End of Route 2<br/>intersects with Island Eastern Corridor 20px
|- align="center"
| style="background: #ececec; color: black;" class="table-na" | End Eastern Harbour Crossing 20px
|
| style="background: #ececec; color: black;" class="table-na" | Start Eastern Harbour Crossing 20px
|- align="center"
| Tai Koo Shing, Sai Wan Ho, Shau Kei Wan, Chai Wan, Siu Sai Wan, Stanley, Shek O<br/>Island Eastern Corridor 20px
| 1A
| style="background: #ececec; color: grey;" class="table-na" | no exit
|- align="center"
| Quarry Bay, North Point, Causeway Bay, Happy Valley, Aberdeen<br/>Island Eastern Corridor 20px
| 1B
| style="background: #ececec; color: grey;" class="table-na" | no exit
|- align="center"
| style="background: #ececec; color: grey;" class="table-na" | no exit
| 1C
| Tseung Kwan O, Lam Tin Interchange<br/>Tseung Lam Highway 20px
|- align="center"
| colspan="3" | Eastern Harbour Crossing
|- align="center"
| style="background: #ececec; color: black;" class="table-na" | Start Eastern Harbour Crossing 20px
|
| style="background: #ececec; color: black;" class="table-na" | End Eastern Harbour Crossing 20px<br/> continues as Lei Yue Mun Road 20px
|}
Transport
, there are 46 bus routes passing through the tunnel.
Controversies
In June 2005, CITIC decided to raise the toll for using Eastern Harbour Crossing from HK$15 to HK$25 for private vehicles and up to 67% for other classes of vehicles, under the fare adjustment mechanism derived from the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model. This increase aroused criticisms that the model was detrimental to the public interest, with the increase shifting more traffic to the already congested Cross-Harbour Tunnel.
Notes
See also
- Vehicular harbour crossings in Hong Kong
- List of tunnels and bridges in Hong Kong
- Megaproject
References
External links
- Official site