On March 17th, a traditional bai-sun ceremony was held to celebrate the breakthrough of the tunnel connecting Yau Ma Tei to Ho Man Tin. Representatives from the Highways Department, Arup Mott Macdonald Joint Venture, and Bouygues Travaux Publics were present to mark this important milestone.

The breakthrough of the Westbound tunnel is the result of great teamwork and efforts from all stakeholders involved. Emmanuel Clech, the Principal Project Director of Bouygues Travaux Publics, expressed his gratitude towards the Highways Department and all partners for their contributions to the project. Despite the challenging timeline, the construction of this section has been completed successfully.

The Central Kowloon Route is a significant infrastructure initiative in Hong Kong that involves the construction of a 4.7-kilometer-long dual three-lane carriageway linking West Kowloon to the road network in Kai Tak Development Area and Kowloon East.

As part of this project, Bouygues Travaux Publics is building a 2.8km long tunnel section between Yau Ma Tei and Ma Tau Kok as well as the construction of 31 branches, two access tunnels and a ventilation shaft. Our teams face several challenges:

• A tunnel passing next to four mass transit railway lines and under the heart of Kowloon.
• Drilling and blasting operations in sensitive areas near the MTR tunnels and building piles.
• Complex geology with highly variable ground conditions from hard rock to weak soils.

Upon completion, it will help alleviate congestion in the region and enhance connectivity between various districts in Kowloon. The driving time from West Kowloon to Kowloon Bay will be shortened from 30 minutes to around 5 minutes!