Cross-Harbour Tunnel in Hong Kong reopens with long queues for buses after rampage by radical protesters closed link for two weeks
- Vital transport link between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island closed after firebomb attacks from hard-core protesters
- Rush hour delays for some bus users, but commuters relieved the route is back in service
Commuters faced long queues at a major bus interchange in Hong Kong when the Cross-Harbour Tunnel finally reopened after damage caused by radical protesters forced its two-week closure.
Traffic crossed the key link between Hung Hom and Causeway for the first time in a fortnight from 5am on Wednesday.
Within two hours, bus passengers were enduring lengthy waits at the Hung Hom toll plaza as they tried to board services to Hong Kong Island. Additional staff were on hand to help deal with the crowds.
The tunnel is a vital thoroughfare connecting Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, with about 110,000 private and public vehicles crossing daily.
Despite the delays, a clerk surnamed Chan was happy to be taking the bus again with his eight-year-old son, on their way to work and school in Wan Chai, from their home in Tai Wai.
“Last week was very inconvenient for us to commute, especially because we weren’t sure when bus routes would be changed due to the roadblocks,” Chan said.
He said the transport disruption of the past two weeks had thrown the school journey into disarray, because it was difficult to predict what could happen on the road or at MTR stations.
Cross-Harbour Tunnel to reopen after closure from protest violence
A beautician, who gave her name as Ellie, said her livelihood was affected because she depended on cross-harbour buses to get into work in Central.
“I couldn’t get to work on time because of transport problems,” she said. “Some clients also cancelled their bookings at the last minute because of protests or roadblocks in Central.”
Finance worker Sinna Wong said she had to add an extra 30 minutes to her daily commute from her home in Southern district to Tsim Sha Tsui East during the shutdown.
During the closure, Wong opted for the MTR instead of the temporary ferry service offered by the government, saying the trains ran more frequently.
Protest-hit tunnel could reopen in a week, Hong Kong government says
“It was a stressful last week when I was trying to make it to early meetings in the office,” Wong said, expressing relief at the return to normality.
Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said on Tuesday that about 800 government and contract employees worked day and night for 100 hours to get the tunnel in shape to be used safely again.
“The site was like a war zone attacked by bombs. It’s really a miracle that all the equipment is now ready for operation,” the city’s No 2 official said at a press conference announcing the tunnel’s reopening.
A police armoured vehicle was set on fire and an officer shot in the lower leg with an arrow on November 17, as police tried to disperse protesters with volleys of tear gas.
By Wednesday, most of the hundreds who had barricaded themselves inside had either been arrested, sent to hospital, or had their details recorded by police, but a small number remained inside.
Ends
