A strategic route for the Kowloon district

To cope with the saturation of its road networks, the Hong Kong government is constantly investing in transport infrastructure to relieve congestion and facilitate mobility for local people. In 2019, it awarded Bouygues Travaux with the contract for the Trunk Road T2 project, a subsea road located in Kowloon, Hong Kong’s most populated district. 

This infrastructure is part of a larger project, Route 6, and will form the central section of this project, which will provide a fast east-west link between western Kowloon and Tseung Kwan O City. The section completed by our teams includes the design-build and equipping of a 3.4-km-long dual two-lane trunk road linking the former Kai Tak airport to Cha Kwo Ling.

The TBM gets off to a flying start! 

In April, the Hua Mulan tunnel boring machine (TBM) was given the green light to start digging the part of Cha Kwo Ling tunnel section, which forms the eastern part of the road. This pilot TBM is a navigator as their role to assist with the advancement of the first and second TBMs.

The machine is a hard rock TBM, designed to adapt to the complex geology of the very rocky terrain. The launch ceremony took place in the presence of Jean-Philippe Trin, Chairman of Bouygues Travaux Publics, who was visiting the site. 

The TBM has barely set off and it’s already a real celebrity! Its name “Hua Mulan” is a reference to the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, recounting the story of a warrior woman who went into battle. In addition to being a national icon in China, Hua Mulan has also inspired Walt Disney Studios. 

 

Wide angle on the project

While the third TBM has just been launched, the Victoria and Rhea TBMs, inaugurated in November 2021, continue their journey. The two underground machines have reached the Cha Kwo Ling seawall, located opposite their starting point near Kai Tak airport. Once excavation is complete, these two giants will be dismantled! 

The cross passages are also being excavated! These access tunnels will be used to connect the West bond tunnel to the East bond tunnel. Over 10 cross passages have just been dug in the rock of the Cha Kwo Ling tunnel!

Well done to all the teams involved for these new milestones.