Chapter 571 Opening of the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel

Chapter 571 Opening of the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel

Chapter 571 Opening of the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel
Kwai Chung, as the core port of Hong Kong in the future, has now taken shape, so all we have to do next is to follow its own development.

On April 4, another major infrastructure project in Hong Kong, the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel, was successfully completed and passed the safety review of an international third-party organization. The Hong Kong government also decided to officially open it to traffic on the same day.

For Hong Kong society, the role of the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel is no less than that of the Kwai Chung Pier. In fact, for ordinary people, this tunnel is more convenient.

In the past, people could only travel between Central and Kowloon by ferry. Whether it was a car or a person, they had to wait for a long time. In bad weather or the scorching sun in summer, it was so hot that it could make people lose their skin.

Now that there is a tunnel, you can just drive normally across to the other side.

The tunnel opening ceremony was held on the Hong Kong Island side. Governor Trench, the Provincial Governor and dozens of other foreign officials came to the scene; Yang Wendong, the executives of the Changxing Group and many wealthy Chinese also came to celebrate;
Reporters from various newspapers and camera crews from TVB and ATV also rushed over. This was also a major event that influenced the history of Hong Kong.

As a group of reporters, everyone naturally came earlier. Before the main person arrived, many reporters were chatting:

"The tolls in this tunnel are really expensive. It costs 3 yuan for bicycles, motorcycles and tricycles to pass through, and 5 yuan for cars. They have to make a lot of money from collecting tolls."

The toll price of the Hung Hom Tunnel has long been announced. Although it is a private investment project, it is also a public infrastructure after all, and many aspects are supervised by the Hong Kong government and society;

Similarly, electricity and bus fares, etc., even though they are controlled by the consortium, the prices are generally not what they want. Hong Kong does not have monopoly laws, but the government also has controls, otherwise capital can raise the prices of various basic energy sources to sky-high prices;
However, it can basically be guaranteed that the consortium behind it has considerable interests, and there will be a balance between both parties and the Hong Kong government.

Another reporter said: "It seems to be more expensive than the Star Ferry, but it is more convenient. The total length is less than 2km. If there is no traffic jam, it only takes a few minutes to drive there. If you have to wait for the ferry, sometimes it takes more than two hours. The environment is also poor. You have done it before. If you were asked to choose, which one would you choose?"

"I would also choose the tunnel, unless it is too far from Hung Hom," the reporter who asked the question replied;
The biggest benefit of tunnels or bridges is time. However, the disadvantage is that their location is fixed, unlike ships that can be moved and adjusted at will. If the distance is really too far, it would be better to take a ferry than to go around in a circle.

"It's OK for cars, but it would be troublesome if people were not allowed to pass. If people could pass, it would be quite fast to walk 2 kilometers."

Pedestrians are not allowed to pass through the Hung Hom Tunnel, and this was made clear more than two years ago.

"How can we allow pedestrians to pass? It would be very troublesome to charge pedestrians. Many people might not pay, and it would be a mess."

"It's not just a matter of money, but also safety. Tunnels are dark, and with so many people, if they cross the road and get into an accident, the tunnel will be blocked and dangerous. A car accident and fire in a tunnel is the scariest thing."

"Yes, in other countries, tunnels are also closed to pedestrians."

Many reporters and even many people who came to watch the show were chatting;

At 10am, the opening ceremony of the Hung Hom Tunnel officially began;

"Mr. Governor, shall we go on stage together to cut the ribbon?" Yang Wendong said to Trench with a smile.

Many large-scale events in Hong Kong have ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and this may be the case in mainland China in the future. Generally, the people who come to the fore are those with the most distinguished status, either project owners or senior government officials; and the people who accompany them are also in high positions. For example, today's ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on television and in newspapers, and even the newspaper photos may be preserved and stored in libraries, or become pictures in other books, etc.

If the Governor of Hong Kong did not come, such an honor would naturally go to Yang Wendong. If the Governor of Hong Kong came, the honor would be given to him. After all, this Governor of Hong Kong was about to leave Hong Kong, and like his predecessor, Robert Black, he wanted to do more and leave his name in Hong Kong's history.

Trench smiled and said, "Okay, thank you Yang Sheng."

"You're too polite, Governor." Yang Wendong smiled.

Under the command of the emcee, many people came to their positions. A reporter also came to interview. The Governor of Hong Kong and Yang Wendong responded to questions. This interview was also prepared in advance. The opening of such a large project will definitely require some content to be published in the newspapers, so the authorities will arrange everything in advance.

Then, under the attention of the emcee, reporters and filming team, Governor Trench David cut the red ribbon, and thousands of helium balloons nearby took off at the same time. In the core area, several balloons were tied together with a long piece of cloth in the middle with words celebrating the Chinese language written on it.

Many reporters were also conscientiously capturing this scene;
On the other side, with the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Hung Hom Cross-Harbour Tunnel was officially opened to traffic. Many cars that had been waiting for a long time entered the toll booth first;
When you enter, you don't need to register, just go in directly, and you will be charged when you exit, whether it is a car, bus, motorcycle or tricycle;
However, trucks are an exception. They need to be weighed because they are charged according to their weight. In addition, it is also necessary to avoid trucks being overweight, overwide, or carrying other dangerous materials to avoid threatening public safety.
There are 12 toll booths on each side of the Hung Hom Tunnel. The roads before and after the toll booths are also very wide, which also avoids traffic jams.
It was just the first day of opening, and with the strong advertising effect in the early stage, it is estimated that many people also wanted to come and have a look. For those who have cars, a few dollars is not enough to just play around;

Many traffic police have been mobilized and are now maintaining order on both sides; even in the middle of the tunnel, a few positions are reserved for traffic police and some special emergency supplies, such as fire fighting, medical care, food, etc., to avoid special emergencies.

Dai Linzhi, Yang Wendong and others came to a 6-story building next to the tunnel entrance. They could see the toll gate below through the window. Under special arrangements, everyone else left, leaving only the two of them.

Trench smiled and said, "Mr. Yang, now that the Hung Hom Tunnel is open to traffic, we have finally accomplished something that the Hong Kong people have been looking forward to."

"Yes, with this tunnel, it will be much more convenient for the people of Hong Kong." Yang Wendong nodded and said.

Although the tunnel charges a fee, just like the highway, for most people it is still cost-effective; and if you really don't want to pay, the former Star Ferry is still there, so you can make other choices.

Originally, the tunnel was started during the term of David Trench, but it was not completed until after MacLehose came to power. Even the port terminal was completed in the same way.
Now because of the existence of Yang Wendong, he naturally pushed many things forward, which can be regarded as taking care of the Governor of Hong Kong, Trench.

Dai Linzhi nodded and said, "Yes, and Yang Sheng's primary school and library were built so quickly that I was surprised."

"I would naturally be happy to build more schools for Hong Kong," Yang Wendong also said.

Rich people in ancient times knew that building roads and schools in Puqiao would benefit the local community. Yang Wendong was naturally the same. It was a good deal from any angle.

Trench said, "That's good. I have already approved the conversion of the 46 square feet of industrial land that Changxing Real Estate applied for. The plot ratio is the highest in the area. We just need to submit it to the Lands Department for approval. Generally, they just go through the procedures and there won't be any problems."

"Okay, thank you very much, Governor of Hong Kong." Yang Wendong said very satisfiedly.

This transaction was to allow Trench to achieve something in education before he left office, and in return for a fair deal, he would conduct some industrial-commercial conversion of land;
The Hong Kong government will not lose a penny of the money it owes. The Governor of Hong Kong has only used his legal rights to increase the floor area ratio.
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(End of this chapter)