Hong Kong's New Tunnel Cuts 30-Minute Trip to 5 Minutes

A major new tunnel in Hong Kong opened on Sunday, promising to dramatically cut travel times. The Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass is now operational. The 4.7-kilometer transport corridor features a 3.9-kilometer, three-lane tunnel. It directly links the Kai Tak and Kowloon Bay areas with Yau Ma Tei. Officials state the bypass will reduce the peak-hour journey between West and East Kowloon from 30 minutes to just five. This represents an 80% decrease in travel time. Eight bus routes will begin using the new corridor on Monday. Three of these routes are newly created to serve the bypass. Traffic began flowing through the tunnel Sunday morning. The connection at Shing Kai Road in Kai Tak marks the final piece of this long-awaited infrastructure project.