Kai Tak Tunnel
{{short description|Tunnel in Kowloon, Hong Kong}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date=April 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{distinguish|Airport Tunnel, Hong Kong}}
{{Infobox tunnel
| name = Kai Tak Tunnel
| image = Kai Tak Tunnel Ma Tau Kok Entrance 2018.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| official_name = Kai Tak Tunnel
| other_name = Airport Tunnel
| location = Kowloon, Hong Kong
| coordinates =
| os_grid_ref =
| status = Active
| route = Part of Route 5 15px
| crosses =
| start = Ma Tau Kok
| end = Kowloon Bay
| startwork =
| opened = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1982|6|29}}
| closed =
| rebuilt =
| reopened =
| owner =
| operator = Great Lucky Company Limited
| traffic = Vehicular
| character = Limited-access
| toll = No
| vpd =
| engineer =
| construction =
| length =
| lanes = 4 lanes (2 lanes per direction)
| speed = {{convert|70|kph|mph}}
| hielevation =
| lowelevation =
| height =
| width =
| depth_below_water =
| shipping_clearance_above =
| grade =
| map =
| extra = {{Chinese
|child=yes
|t=啟德隧道
|y=Kái dāk seuih douh
|j=Kai2 dak1 seoi6 dou6
|altname=Airport Tunnel
|t2=機場隧道
|j2=Gei1 coeng4 seoi6 dou6
|y2=Gēi chèuhng seuih douh
|s=启德隧道
|p=Qǐdé Suìdào
|s2=机场隧道
|order=ts
|showflag=jyp
}}
}}
File:Kai Tak Tunnel Kowloon Bay Entrance.jpg entrance]]
Kai Tak Tunnel, formerly known as the Airport Tunnel, is a tunnel in New Kowloon, Hong Kong, which connects the Kowloon Bay and Ma Tau Kok areas by going beneath the former Hong Kong International Airport (Kai Tak Airport). It is part of Route 5.
The tunnel provides a quick link between the two ends of the tunnel, as before the construction of the tunnel vehicles had to detour through Kowloon City to reach the other end.Hong Kong - Streets and Districts (香港街道與地區) (1978), Lands Department, HKSAR.Hong Kong Yearbook 1999, HKSAR. Kai Tak Tunnel is currently managed by Greater Lucky (H.K.) Company Limited.
History
Construction of the tunnel had started by 1975,{{Cite web|url=http://hongkongandmacaufilmstuff.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-man-from-hong-kong-wang-yu-1975-kai.html|title = Hong Kong (& Macau) Film Stuff: The Man from Hong Kong - Wang Yu (1975) - Kai Tak Airport, Kowloon|date = 31 May 2015}} but because of the difficulties in digging under the airport runway, it was not complete until 1982. The southern tube opened to two-way traffic at 3:00 pm on 29 June 1982.{{cite news|title="Bubbly" opening for airport tunnel|work=South China Morning Post|date=30 June 1982|page=16}} The second (northern) tube opened on 8 October that year.{{cite news|title=Airport tunnel fully operational at last|work=South China Morning Post|date=7 October 1982|page=17}} The Airport Tunnel was the first tunnel in Hong Kong to be toll-free, excluding short underpasses.
With Kai Tak Airport's shutdown in 1998, the Airport Tunnel was no longer fulfilled to its name. The Hong Kong Government announced to rename to Kai Tak Tunnel on 2 March 2006 that the tunnel, effective from 4 May 2006, after several years of consultation with groups including the Kowloon City District Council. The name was changed to commemorate the former Kai Tak International Airport.[http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200603/02/P200603020141.htm Airport Tunnel renamed as Kai Tak Tunnel] - Hong Kong Government press release. Retrieved on May 29, 2008.
Features
The tunnel consists of a pair of tubes of about 7 metres diameter each, 1.26 km long. The southern tube carries west-bound traffic from Kowloon Bay to Ma Tau Kok. A point of interest is that the eastbound tunnel branches off onto Sung Wong Toi Road. It is the only major vehicular tunnel in Hong Kong built entirely by the cut-and-cover technique.
Many major express bus routes of Kowloon Motor Bus and New World First Bus between Kowloon and the eastern end of New Kowloon travel through the Kai Tak Tunnel. Most of them run between the Kwun Tong District or Sai Kung District and Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom. They include 13X, 213X, 224X, 98D, 98P, 14X, 215X, 219X, 296D, 297, 796P. Westbound departures of routes 11X and 28 and peak hour cross harbour tunnel bus route 101X and Hong Kong High Speed Rail feeder bus route W2, also runs through Kai Tak Tunnel. In total, an estimated 60000 vehicles use the tunnel each day.Hong Kong Guide 2006, Survey and Mapping Office, HKSAR.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category|Kai Tak Tunnel}}
{{sequence
|prev=Kai Fuk Road
|list=Hong Kong Route 5
x20px
Kai Tak Tunnel
|next=East Kowloon Corridor
}}
{{HK tunnels}}
{{HK routes|r5;}}
{{coord|22|19|27.49|N|114|11|37.66|E|region:HK|display=title}}
Category:Road tunnels in Hong Kong