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This text is about tunnel connecting Kowloon Tong and Sha Tin:
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The Lion Rock Tunnel (獅子山隧道) connects Kowloon Tong in Kowloon City District and Hin Tin in Sha Tin District, New Territories, with a total length of about 1.43km. It is the earliest tunnel opened to traffic in Hong Kong and the first driving tunnel connecting Kowloon and New Territories East. It is part of the Lion Rock Tunnel Road.
In a broader sense, "Lion Rock Tunnel" generally refers to the two tunnels of the tunnel; in a narrow sense, "Lion Rock Tunnel" is just the name of the southbound tunnel that was built first. The northbound tunnel that was later completed is officially called the "Second Lion Rock Tunnel". However, the general public, the media, and the government directly refer to the two as the "Lion Rock Tunnel" and rarely describe them separately.
Currently, Chun Wo Tunnel Management Co., Ltd. is responsible for the management of the Lion Rock Tunnel, effective from 1 August 2018, with a six-year contract.
History[]
The demand for water in Hong Kong increased dramatically in the 1960s. In 1963, Hong Kong suffered a severe drought. On 2 May, Hong Kong implemented a four-hour water supply restriction every four days. With the water shortage crisis imminent, the Water Supplies Bureau under the Government Works Bureau overcame the geographical barrier of Lion Rock and built the first Lion Rock Tunnel together with three water pipes to supply water from the Sha Tin Water Treatment Works in the Plover Cove Reservoir Water Supply Project to the urban area of Kowloon.
The Lion Rock Tunnel opened to traffic on 14 November, 1967, becoming the first traffic tunnel in Hong Kong. There is only one pipeline connecting Sha Tin and Kowloon, which is the current southbound pipeline. The first bus route passing through the Lion Rock Tunnel was KMB Route 19, which ran between Jordan Road Ferry Pier and Sheung Shui. It was opened on 27 January of the following year. As the demand for traffic and drinking water increased, the second Lion Rock Tunnel and the two fresh water pipes in the tunnel were also built in 1978. The original pipe was changed to one-way southbound, and the new pipe was one-way northbound.
Tidal traffic[]
At 3:30 a.m. on 8 March, 2012, a three-alarm fire broke out in the underground water pipe of the southbound pipeline during maintenance work. It burned for 9 hours, causing the concrete on the pipeline surface to peel off and the steel bars to be exposed; the Transport Department decided to close the southbound tube for 4 days, during which only the northbound tube was opened for single-tube two-way traffic. On 12 March, the express lane of the southbound pipeline was reopened and tidal traffic was implemented. With the slow lane of the southbound tube reopening on 19 March, normal traffic has resumed.
Situation of use[]
The designed traffic volume of the Lion Rock Tunnel is 2,600 vehicles per hour in each direction. In 2019, the utilization rate during peak hours was 1.0 (Northbound) and 1.0 (Southbound).
Before the Lion Tunnel was opened to traffic, Tai Po Road (now known as Piper's Hill and Sha Tin Heights sections) was the most direct route between the New Territories East and urban Kowloon. After the Lion Tunnel opened to traffic, it replaced Tai Po Road. With the development of new towns in Sha Tin and New Territories East, the importance of the Lion Rock Tunnel has continued to increase. Since the 1980s, congestion has often occurred during peak hours.
The toll fare for all vehicles passing through the Lion Rock Tunnel is $8, and it leads directly to the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel, which runs from north to south of Hong Kong. Although the Tate's Cairn Tunnel and Tsing Sha Highway were subsequently completed, it still attracts many drivers to choose it.
Route information[]
Routes marked with * stop at the Lion Rock Tunnel Toll Plaza.
Southbound (To Kowloon)[]
| Franchised Bus Route Information via Lion Rock Tunnel Road (To Kowloon) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator(s) | Route | Starting Point | Terminus | Service Times |
| KMB | 72X* | Fu Tip Bus Terminus | Mong Kok (Park Avenue) | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 74A* | Tai Po (Tai Wo) | Kai Yip | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 80 | Mei Lam | Kwun Tong Ferry | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 80A | Mei Lam | Kwun Tong Ferry (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, via Kowloon Bay Business Area ● |
| KMB | 80P | Hin Keng | Kwun Tong Ferry (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Saturdays during morning peak hours ● |
| KMB | 81C* | Yiu On | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Outbound Mondays to Saturdays after morning peak hours, holidays whole-day ● |
| Template:KMB 81S doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 85* | Fo Tan Chun Yeung Estate | Kowloon City Ferry | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 85A* | Kwong Yuen | Kowloon City Ferry | Service daily ● |
| Template:KMB 85B doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 86 | Wong Nai Tau | Mei Foo | Service daily ● |
| Template:KMB 86A doesn't exist! | ||||
| Template:KMB 86C doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 87B* | Sun Tin Wai | Island Harbourview | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 87D* | Kam Ying Court | Hung Hom Station | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 87E | Nai Chung | Tsim Sha Tsui | Outbound Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| KMB | 89* | Lek Yuen | Kwun Tong (Tsui Ping North Estate) | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 89B | Sha Tin Wai | Ngau Tau Kok | Service daily ● |
| KMB, Citybus | 170* | Sha Tin Station | Wah Fu (Central) | Service daily ● |
| KMB, Citybus | 182 | Yu Chui Court | Central (Macau Ferry) | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 270A* | Sheung Shui | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 270C | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Outbound Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| KMB | 271 | Tai Po (Fu Heng) | Jordan (West Kowloon Station) | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 271B | Tai Po (Fu Heng) | Jordan (West Kowloon Station) | Service Mondays to Fridays during peak hours, via Pak Shek Kok ● |
| KMB | 271P | Kau Lung Hang | Tsim Sha Tsui (Canton Road) (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| KMB | 281A | Kwong Yuen | Kowloon Station | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 281B* | Shek Mun Estate | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Saturdays during morning peak hours ● |
| KMB | 281X* | Yiu On | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Saturdays during morning peak hours, direct to Lion Rock Tunnel after A Kung Kok ● |
| KMB | 887 | Sha Tin Racecourse | Mong Kok (Park Avenue) (One-way) |
Service during dismissal at Sha Tin Racecourse ● |
| Template:KMB 889 doesn't exist! | ||||
| Template:KMB 891 doesn't exist! | ||||
| Template:CHT N170 doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB, Citybus | N182* | Kwong Yuen | Central (Macau Ferry) | Service daily overnight ● |
| KMB | N271* | Tai Po (Fu Heng) | Hung Hom Station | Service daily overnight ● |
| KMB | N281* | Kam Ying Court | Hung Hom Station | Service daily overnight ● |
| KMB | N373 | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Central (Macau Ferry) | Service daily overnight ● |
| Green Minibus Route Information via Lion Rock Tunnel Road (To Kowloon) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Route | Starting Point | Terminus | Service Times |
| Rich Success Transportation | 61M | Worldwide Gardens | Tai Wai Station | Service daily ● |
| Rich Success Transportation | 61S | Wo Che (Tak Hau Street) | Mong Kok Station | Service daily overnight ● |
| Fu San Luen | 63S | Mei Tin Estate | Mong Kok | Service daily overnight ● |
| Easy Well Industrial | 65S | Wong Nai Tau | Mong Kok (Bute Street) | Service daily overnight ● |
| Fully Mint | 501S | Sheung Shui (Shek Wu Hui) | Kwun Tong Station (Yue Man Square) | Service daily overnight ● |
| Honest Profit Corporation | 616S | Lok Ma Chau Control Point | Mong Kok (Sai Yeung Choi Street South) | Service daily overnight ● |
| Kwok Chung Motor Car Limited | 805S | Ma On Shan | Mong Kok | Service daily overnight ● |
Northbound (To Sha Tin)[]
| Franchised Bus Route Information via Lion Rock Tunnel Road (To Sha Tin) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator(s) | Route | Starting Point | Terminus | Service Times |
| KMB | 72X* | Mong Kok (Park Avenue) | Fu Tip Bus Terminus | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 74A* | Kai Yip | Tai Po (Tai Wo) | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 80 | Kwun Tong Ferry | Mei Lam | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 81C* | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Yiu On | Inbound daily ● |
| KMB | 85* | Kowloon City Ferry | Fo Tan Chun Yeung Estate | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 85A* | Kowloon City Ferry | Kwong Yuen | Service daily ● |
| Template:KMB 85B doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 86 | Mei Foo | Wong Nai Tau | Service daily ● |
| Template:KMB 86A doesn't exist! | ||||
| Template:KMB 86C doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 87B* | Island Harbourview | Sun Tin Wai | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 87D* | Hung Hom Station | Kam Ying Court | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 87E | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Nai Chung | Inbound Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● |
| Template:KMB 88M doesn't exist! | ||||
| Citybus (Non-franchised) |
88R | Central | City One Shatin | Inbound Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours to nighttime, Saturdays and holidays during afternoon peak hours, observed in one direction only ● |
| KMB | 89* | Kwun Tong (Tsui Ping North Estate) | Lek Yuen | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 89B | Ngau Tau Kok | Sha Tin Wai | Service daily ● |
| KMB, Citybus | 170* | Wah Fu (Central) | Sha Tin Station | Service daily ● |
| KMB, Citybus | 182 | Central (Macau Ferry) | Yu Chui Court | Service daily ● |
| KMB, Citybus | 182X | Central (Macau Ferry) | Yu Chui Court (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours, direct to Tai Wai after crossing the harbour and via Shui Chuen O ● |
| KMB | 270A* | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Sheung Shui | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 270C* | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Inbound Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● |
| KMB | 271 | Jordan (West Kowloon Station) | Tai Po (Fu Heng) | Service daily ● |
| KMB | 271B | Jordan (West Kowloon Station) | Tai Po (Fu Heng) | Service Mondays to Fridays during peak hours, via Pak Shek Kok ● |
| KMB | 271S | Hung Hom Station | Tai Po (Tai Wo) (One-way) |
Service daily overnight, omit Sha Tin and Wan Tau Tong Estate ● |
| KMB | 281A | Kowloon Station | Kwong Yuen | Service daily ● |
| Template:KMB 281M doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 373 | Central (Hong Kong Station) | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Inbound Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours, via Tai Wo Service Road West ● |
| Template:CHT N170 doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB, Citybus | N182* | Central (Macau Ferry) | Kwong Yuen | Service daily overnight ● |
| KMB | N271* | Hung Hom Station | Tai Po (Fu Heng) | Service daily overnight ● |
| KMB | N281* | Hung Hom Station | Kam Ying Court | Service daily overnight ● |
| KMB | N287 | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Wu Kai Sha Station (One-way) |
Service daily overnight ● |
| KMB | N373 | Central (Macau Ferry) | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Service daily overnight ● |
| Green Minibus Route Information via Lion Rock Tunnel Road (To Sha Tin) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Route | Starting Point | Terminus | Service Times |
| Rich Success Transportation | 61M | Tai Wai Station | Worldwide Gardens | Service daily ● |
| Rich Success Transportation | 61S | Mong Kok Station | Wo Che (Tak Hau Street) | Service daily overnight ● |
| Fu San Luen | 63S | Mong Kok | Mei Tin Estate | Service daily overnight ● |
| Easy Well Industrial | 65S | Mong Kok (Bute Street) | Wong Nai Tau | Service daily overnight ● |
| Fully Mint | 501S | Kwun Tong Station (Yue Man Square) | Sheung Shui (Shek Wu Hui) | Service daily overnight ● |
| Honest Profit Corporation | 616S | Mong Kok (Sai Yeung Choi Street South) | Lok Ma Chau Control Point | Service daily overnight ● |
| Kwok Chung Motor Car Limited | 805S | Mong Kok | Ma On Shan | Service daily overnight ● |
Future Development[]
As early as 2008, the Highways Department had planned to comprehensively renovate the Lion Rock Tunnel.
In 2019, the Highways Department submitted an environmental impact assessment report on the Lion Rock Tunnel improvement project, including the construction of a new pipeline between the two pipelines, the renovation of the existing pipeline, the expansion of the Lion Rock Tunnel Toll Plaza bus stop and the widening of the Lion Rock Tunnel Toll Plaza, Lion Rock Tunnel Road, and Sha Tin Road to have three lanes each in the round-trip direction to extend their service life and improve traffic conditions during peak hours.
Gallery[]
.JPG "Inside Lion Rock Tunnel-S(0720).JPG (1.12 MB)")
_Interior_20210511.jpg "Lion Rock Tunnel (North) Interior 20210511.jpg (1.65 MB)")
Related Articles[]
- Lion Rock Tunnel Road
- Lion Rock Tunnel Toll Plaza
External Links[]
| Bus routes passing through Lion Rock Tunnel | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sha Tin District | <Sham Shui Po District> 86 • 86A • 86C • 286A (northbound) <Yau Tsim Mong District> 81C • 87B • 87D • 281A • 281B (southbound) • 281X (southbound) • 887 (southbound) • N281 • N287 (northbound) <Kowloon City District> 85 • 85A • 85B (southbound) • 891 (southbound) <Kwun Tong District> 80 • 80A (southbound) • 80P (southbound) • 89 • 89B • 889 (southbound) <Hong Kong Island> 88R • 170 • 182 • 182X (northbound) • N170 • N182 |  |
| Tai Po District | <Yau Tsim Mong District> 72X • 87E • 271 • 271B • 271P (southbound) • 271S (northbound) • N271 <Kwun Tong District> 74A | |
| North District | ||
| List of tunnels and bridges | |
|---|---|
| Road harbour crossings | |
| Hong Kong Island | Aberdeen Tunnel • Ap Lei Chau Bridge • Central - Wan Chai Bypass |
| Kowloon | Lai Chi Kok Bridge • West Kowloon Corridor • East Kowloon Corridor • Kai Tak Tunnel • Kwun Tong Bypass |
| New Territories | Shing Mun Tunnels • Cheung Tsing Tunnel • Tai Lam Tunnel • Discovery Bay Tunnel • Nam Wan Tunnel • Stonecutters Bridge • Cheung Tsing Bridge • Tsing Tsuen Bridge (Tsing Yi North Bridge) • Tsing Yi Bridge and Kwai Tsing Bridge (Tsing Yi South Bridge) • Tsing Ma Bridge, Ma Wan Viaduct and Kap Shui Mun Bridge • Ting Kau Bridge • Shenzhen Bay Bridge • Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (including Scenic Hill Tunnel) • Lung Shan Tunnel and Cheung Shan Tunnel • Tuen Mun - Chek Lap Kok Tunnel • Airport Tunnel • Tseung Kwan O Cross Bay Link |
| Connecting Kowloon and New Territories | Lion Rock Tunnel • Tseung Kwan O Tunnel • Tate's Cairn Tunnel • Eagle's Nest Tunnel, Sha Tin Heights Tunnel and Tai Wai Tunnel • Tseung Kwan O - Lam Tin Tunnel |
Template:Hong Kong's main routes