The Tai Lam Tunnel (大欖隧道) connects Ting Kau in Tsuen Wan District and Pat Heung in Yuen Long District in the New Territories. It is part of Route 3 and Tsing Long Highway, and is a twin-tube, three-lane, dual-carriageway tunnel of approximately 3.8 kilometres in length. The tunnel toll plaza is located one kilometre away from the northern exit with a bus interchange.
The franchises of Tai Lam Tunnel and Yuen Long Approach Road, which opened in May 1998, will expire in 2025. The Government will study and propose the toll levels of Tai Lam Tunnel after the expiry of the franchises in due course, and will consider how to adjust the tolls of Tai Lam Tunnel in order to divert traffic from Tuen Mun Road.
History[]
The serious congestion on Tuen Mun Road, which occurred frequently in the 1990s, needed to be resolved urgently, and there is a need for road links to the new airport at Chek Lap Kok, the Lantau Link and the Northwest New Territories. In response, the Government approved the construction of the Tai Lam Tunnel and the Yuen Long Approach Road through the Tai Lam Country Park between Yuen Long and Ting Kau.
In March 1993, the Government invited the private sector to participate in the construction of the Tai Lam Tunnel. Subsequently, the scope of works was finalised and a Project Statement was issued in December 1993, and on 8 April 1994, the three tenderers submitted their proposals. After selection and negotiation, Route 3 (Country Park Section) Company Limited, a joint venture between Sun Hung Kai Properties, Bank of China Group, China Resources Group and Hong Kong China Travel Service, was awarded a 30-year franchise to build and operate the Tai Lam Tunnel and Yuen Long Approach Road on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis for a period of 30 years, expiring in May 2025[1].
The Tai Lam Tunnel and Yuen Long Approach Road Bill was passed by the Legislative Council on 24 May 1995, and construction of the 10.1-kilometre section of the tunnel commenced on 31 May. The section was later named "Route 3 (Country Park Section)" and became the northernmost part of Route 3, with toll plazas and bus interchanges located at the northern exit of the tunnel, about 1 kilometre away.
Tai Lam Tunnel opened[]
Route 3 (Country Park Section) was opened to traffic on 25 May 1998 at 3:30 p.m.[2] Ten bus routes in Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai were rerouted to go through the Tai Lam Tunnel on the following day, nine of which were operated by KMB. During the initial period of the opening of the Tai Lam Tunnel, bus captains had to stop at the toll plaza and pay the toll in cash when the buses passed through the toll plaza as the Autotoll system was not yet in operation.
KMB set up "Tai Lam Tunnel Interchange" at the toll plaza in both directions and introduced "Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Route Interchange Concessions" to facilitate the public to travel between Hong Kong and Kowloon at concessionary fares. At that time when air-conditioned buses were becoming popular, the Administration learnt from the experience of the Shing Mun Tunnel Bus Interchange when planning the Tai Lam Tunnel BBI scheme. As the provision of interchange concessions by using a mix of non-air-conditioned and air-conditioned buses would result in more complicated fare criteria, causing confusion to passengers and not conducive to the implementation of the scheme, it was necessary for all routes to be upgraded to full air-conditioned service at the same time.
On the other hand, the Administration has long anticipated that the opening of the entire Route 3 would attract a large number of vehicles using Tuen Mun Road to switch to the Tai Lam Tunnel, and the air quality problem will certainly be much more serious than that of the Tate's Cairn Tunnel. In order to avoid a repeat of the Tate's Cairn Tunnel incident, the Transport Department (TD) disallowed the continuation of the non-air-conditioned bus service on these routes under the pressure of the Yuen Long District Council and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). This made the Tai Lam Tunnel, when it opened, the first road tunnel in Hong Kong where all bus routes were air-conditioned.
Separately, the Tai Lam Tunnel Management Company introduced a retired KMB Leyland Victory II for use in emergency drills[3]; the vehicle was towed away and replaced by an all-white-bodied Dennis Dragon on 24 October 2015[4].
Route information[]
| Franchised bus routes observing Tai Lam Tunnel | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | Route no. | Origin | Destination | Service type |
| KMB | 68E | Yuen Long Park | Tsing Yi Station | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Tsing Yi Station | Yuen Long Park | |||
| KMB | 68M | Yuen Long (West) | Tsuen Wan Station | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Tsuen Wan Station | Yuen Long (West) | |||
| KMB | 68X | Hung Shui Kiu (Hung Fuk Estate) | Mong Kok (Park Avenue) | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Mong Kok (Park Avenue) | Hung Shui Kiu (Hung Fuk Estate) | |||
| KMB | 69C | Tin Yan Estate | Kwun Tong Ferry | Outbound service Saturdays during morning, holidays during morning peak hours ● |
| Kwun Tong Ferry | Tin Yan Estate | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| KMB | 69M | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | Kwai Fong Station | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Kwai Fong Station | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | |||
| KMB | 69P | Tin Shui Wai Station | Kwai Fong Station (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, one-way southbound ● |
| KMB | 69X | Tin Shui | Jordan (West Kowloon Station) | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Jordan (West Kowloon Station) | Tin Shui | |||
| KMB | 251M | Sheung Tsuen | Tsuen Wan Station (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, one-way southbound ● |
| Template:KMB 265B doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 265M | Tin Heng Estate | Kwai Chung (Lai Yiu Estate) | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Kwai Chung (Lai Yiu Estate) | Tin Heng Estate | |||
| KMB | 268A | Long Ping Estate | Kwun Tong Ferry | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, viaTung Tau Industrial Area ● |
| Kwun Tong Ferry | Long Ping Estate | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours, viaTung Tau Industrial Area ● | ||
| KMB | 268B | Long Ping Station | Hung Hom (Hung Luen Road) | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, Saturdays and holidays whole-day ● |
| Hung Hom (Hung Luen Road) | Long Ping Station | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours, Saturdays and holidays after morning peak hours ● | ||
| KMB | 268C | Long Ping Station | Kwun Tong Ferry | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Kwun Tong Ferry | Long Ping Station | |||
| KMB | 268M | Park YOHO | Tsuen Wan West Station | Outbound service daily ● |
| Tsuen Wan West Station | Park YOHO | Inbound service daily after morning peak hours ● | ||
| KMB | 268P | Ma Wang Road (San Shui House) | Kwun Tong Ferry | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, via Kowloon Bay Business Area ● |
| Kwun Tong Ferry | Long Ping Station | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours, via Kowloon Bay Business Area ● | ||
| KMB | 268X | Hung Shui Kiu (Hung Fuk Estate) | Jordan (West Kowloon Station) | Service daily, via Yuen Long Town, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Jordan (West Kowloon Station) | Hung Shui Kiu (Hung Fuk Estate) | |||
| Template:KMB 269A doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 269B | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | Hung Hom (Hung Luen Road) | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Hung Hom (Hung Luen Road) | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | |||
| KMB | 269C | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | Kwun Tong Ferry | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Kwun Tong Ferry | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | |||
| KMB | 269D | Tin Fu | Lek Yuen | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Lek Yuen | Tin Fu | |||
| KMB | 269M | Tin Yan Estate | Cho Yiu Chuen | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Cho Yiu Chuen | Tin Yan Estate | |||
| KMB | 269P | Tin Yan Estate | Kwai Chung (Kwai Fong Estate) | Outbound Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, one-way northbound ● |
| Template:KMB 269S doesn't exist! | ||||
| KMB | 279A | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Tsing Yi Station (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, via Tin Ping Estate, one-way southbound ● |
| KMB | 279B | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Kwai Hing Station (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, one-way southbound ● |
| KMB | 279X | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Tsing Yi Station | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Tsing Yi Station | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | |||
| Citybus | 967 | Tin Shui Wai (Tin Yan Estate) | Admiralty (West) | Outbound service daily daytime ● |
| Admiralty (West) | Tin Shui Wai (Tin Yan Estate) | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during daytime after morning peak hours, Saturdays and holidays during daytime non-peak hours ● | ||
| Citybus | 967X* | Tin Shui Wai (Tin Yan Estate) | Causeway Bay | Outbound service Mondays to Saturdays during morning peak hours ● |
| Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace) | Tin Shui Wai (Tin Yan Estate) | Inbound service daily during afternoon peak hours to nighttime ● | ||
| KMB | 968 | Yuen Long (West) | Causeway Bay (Tin Hau) | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Causeway Bay (Tin Hau) | Yuen Long (West) | |||
| KMB | 968A | Yuen Long (West) | Causeway Bay (Tin Hau) (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, one-way southbound ● |
| KMB | 968X | Yuen Long (Tak Yip Street) | Quarry Bay (King's Road) | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| Quarry Bay (King's Road) | Yuen Long (Tak Yip Street) | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| Citybus | 969 | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre [Remark 1] | Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace) | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace) | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | |||
| Citybus | 969B# | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | Wan Chai | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| Wan Chai | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| Citybus | 969C* | Tin Shui Wai (Maywood Court) | Tai Koo (Kornhill Plaza) | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| Quarry Bay | Tin Shui Wai (Tin Shui Estate) | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| Citybus | 969N | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace) (One-way) |
Service daily during early morning, one-way southbound ● |
| Citybus | 969P | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace) (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Saturdays during morning peak hours, via Tin Tsz Estate, one-way southbound ● |
| Citybus | 969X* | Tin Shui Wai Town Centre | Causeway Bay (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Saturdays during morning peak hours, direct to Wan Chai after WHC ● |
| Citybus | 976 | Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) | Sai Wan Ho | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| Sai Wan Ho | Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| Citybus | 976A | Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) | Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort) | Lok Ma Chau (San Tin) | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| KMB | 978 | Fanling (Wah Ming) | Exhibition Centre Station | Outbound service daily ● |
| Exhibition Centre Station | Fanling (Wah Ming) | Inbound service daily after morning peak hours ● | ||
| KMB | 978A | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Exhibition Centre Station | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| Exhibition Centre Station | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| KMB | 978B | Chi Fuk Circuit Fanling | Exhibition Centre Station (One-way) |
Service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours, one-way southbound ● |
| LWB | A43 | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Airport (Ground Transportation Centre) | Service daily, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Airport (Ground Transportation Centre) | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | |||
| LWB | A43P | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Airport (Ground Transportation Centre) | Outbound service daily daytime, via Lok Ma Chau Huang Bus Terminus ● |
| Airport (Ground Transportation Centre) | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Inbound service daily during afternoon to nighttime, via Lok Ma Chau Huang Bus Terminus ● | ||
| LWB | E36P | Sheung Tsuen | SKYCITY | Outbound service Mondays to Saturdays during early morning ● |
| SKYCITY | Sheung Tsuen | Inbound service Mondays to Saturdays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| LWB | E36S | Yuen Long (Ma Wang Road) | Airport (Ground Transportation Centre) | Outbound service Mondays to Saturdays during morning peak hours ● |
| Airport (Ground Transportation Centre) | Yuen Long (Ma Wang Road) | Inbound service Mondays to Saturdays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
| KMB | N269 | Tin Tsz | Mei Foo | Service daily overnight, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Mei Foo | Tin Tsz | |||
| KMB | N368 | Yuen Long (West) | Central (Macau Ferry) | Service daily overnight, observes this stop in both directions ● |
| Central (Macau Ferry) | Yuen Long (West) | |||
| LWB | NA43 | HZMB Hong Kong Port | Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | Outbound service daily overnight, via San Tin ● |
| Fanling (Luen Wo Hui) | HZMB Hong Kong Port | Inbound service daily during early morning, via San Tin ● | ||
| KMB | P968 | Yuen Long (West) [Remark 2] | Causeway Bay (Tin Hau) | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning ● |
| Causeway Bay (Tin Hau) | Yuen Long (West) | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon to nighttime ● | ||
| KMB | T270 | Fanling (Cheung Wah) | Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Outbound service Mondays to Fridays during morning peak hours ● |
| Tsim Sha Tsui East (Mody Road) | Fanling (Cheung Wah) | Inbound service Mondays to Fridays during afternoon peak hours ● | ||
Note: Routes marked with ＊ do not stop at Tai Lam Tunnel Toll Plaza Interchange southbound. Routes marked with # do not stop for both directions.
Usage situation[]
The design capacity of TLT is 4,700 vehicles per hour per direction, with peak hour utilisation rates of 0.4 (northbound) and 0.5 (southbound) in 2019.[5]
Gallery[]
Remarks[]
Related Articles[]
- Tsing Long Highway
- Tai Lam Tunnel BBI
- Pat Heung Road Bus Terminus
References[]
- ↑ Route 3 (Country Park Section) Toll Increase, Legislative Council Panel on Transport, June 2005
- ↑ 三號幹線（郊野公園段）月底啟用 (Route 3 (Country Park Section) to open at end of month), Government Press Releases, 23 May 1998.
- ↑ China Motor Bus Memorial Page: Tai Lam Tunnel: G304
- ↑ 巴士台 HK Bus Channel
- ↑ Replies to supplementary questions raised by Finance Committee Members in examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2020-21 CONTROLLING OFFICER'S REPLY TO INITIAL WRITTEN QUESTION No. THB(T)120
External Links[]
Template:List of Tai Lam Tunnel Bus Routes Template:List of tunnels and bridges
| Hong Kong Strategic Routes | |
|---|---|
| Route 1 | Aberdeen Praya Road • Wong Chuk Hang Road • Wong Chuk Hang Road Flyover • Aberdeen Tunnel • Wong Nai Chung Gap Flyover • Canal Road Flyover • Cross-Harbour Tunnel • Hong Chong Road • Princess Margaret Road • Waterloo Road • Lion Rock Tunnel • Lion Rock Tunnel Road • Sha Tin Road |
| Route 2 | Eastern Harbour Crossing • Lei Yue Mun Road • Kwun Tong Bypass • Tate's Cairn Tunnel • Tate's Cairn Highway |
| Route 3 | Western Harbour Crossing • West Kowloon Highway • Tsing Kwai Highway • Cheung Tsing Highway • Cheung Tsing Tunnel • North West Tsing Yi Interchange • Ting Kau Bridge • Tsing Long Highway • Tai Lam Tunnel |
| Route 4 | Island Eastern Corridor • Central - Wan Chai Bypass • Rumsey Street Flyover • Connaught Road West Flyover |
| Route 5 | Kai Fuk Road • Kai Tak Tunnel • East Kowloon Corridor • Chatham Road North • Chatham Road South • Gascoigne Road • Ferry Street • West Kowloon Corridor • Lai Chi Kok Road • Kwai Chung Road (including Lai Chi Kok Bridge) • Tsuen Wan Road |
| Route 6 | Tseung Lam Highway (including Tseung Kwan O - Lam Tin Tunnel) |
| Route 7 | Wan Po Road • Tseung Kwan O Tunnel Road • Tseung Kwan O Tunnel • Tseung Kwan O Road • Lei Yue Mun Road • Kwun Tong Road Underpass • Kwun Tong Road • Lung Cheung Road • Ching Cheung Road |
| Route 8 | Tsing Sha Highway (including Tai Wai Tunnel, Sha Tin Heights Tunnel and Eagle's Nest Tunnel) • Stonecutters Bridge • Nam Wan Tunnel • Cheung Tsing Tunnel • North West Tsing Yi Interchange • Lantau Link (including Tsing Ma Bridge, Ma Wan Viaduct and Kap Shui Mun Bridge) • North Lantau Highway |
| Route 9 | |
| Route 10 | |