Tuen Mun Road
Encyclopedia
Tuen Mun Road is a major expressway
in Hong Kong
which connects Tuen Mun
in the New Territories
with Tsuen Wan
. It is part of Hong Kong's Route 9
, which circumnavigates the New Territories. Built in 1977, it was once the major trunk route linking the northwest New Territories to urban Kowloon and is known for its frequent traffic jams and road accidents owing to its early design and heavy usage.
at Lam Tei Interchange, where it also interchanges with Castle Peak Road
and Tsing Lun Road. The next section is a dual 3 lane road through the town centre
of Tuen Mun.
Expressway regulations apply from the junction
with Wong Chu Road, where it widens to 3 lanes and climbs the hillside beside Sam Shing Hui. It then descends into So Kwun Wat
, crossing the rural area on an embankment
. The road then rises again before descending into Siu Lam Interchange, where it interchanges with Castle Peak Road.
From here, the highway crosses the mouth of Tai Lam Chung, and starts climbing the hillsides of Tai Lam through split level terraces (the lower one being the Tuen Mun bound carriageway). The two carriageways join before bypassing the village of Tsing Lung Tau
to the north. This section of road is constructed upon various deep cuttings and high embankments. Afterwards, the road crosses over the village of Sham Tseng
(situated in a valley) to Sham Tseng Interchange, where it interchanges once again with Castle Peak Road.
The road then climbs towards Ting Kau Interchange with its widest section (5+3 lanes). After this junction with Tsing Long Highway
, the Highway crosses the valley of Ting Kau
with various viaducts, with the Tsuen Wan bound carriageway climbing to meet the split level section into Tsuen Wan. This section is characterised by its tight bends and steep descent eastbound. The two carriageways join as the highway terminates and leads into Tsuen Wan Road
, with slip roads connecting with Castle Peak Road in Tsuen Wan.
encountered required the construction of numerous viaduct
s, culvert
s and cuttings. To save construction costs, the road was built with narrow carriageway
s and substandard geometry
, causing frequent traffic accidents and subsequent congestion for a long period. Another such measure was putting the construction work into phases.
Phase 1 of the road was built in 1977, being the present day Tsuen Wan
bound carriageway. Phase 2, which consists of the Tuen Mun
bound carriageway between Sham Tseng
and Tsuen Wan
, was opened in 1981; the remaining Tuen Mun Bound carriageway was completed in 1983.
Since the road was opened, there have been various improvements carried out to meet the increasing traffic demand, such as the addition of uphill crawler lanes (Tsuen Wan Bound) at Sam Shing Hui, So Kwun Wat
, Tai Lam Chung and Ting Kau
. The Highways Department has plans to carry out extensive reconstruction works on Tuen Mun Road that will include widening traffic lanes, improving horizontal curvatures and sightlines, and the installation of noise barriers. It is anticipated that these works will commence from mid 2007 and will take around 5 to 6 years to complete.
Tuen Mun Road remains one of the most heavily used roads in Hong Kong, as some drivers heading to Yuen Long
shunpike
Tai Lam Tunnel
, and container trucks use it to access the River Trade Terminal in Tuen Mun.
Bus accident near Ting Kau
In the morning of 10 July, 2003, a Neoplan Centroliner
bus was running on route 265M of Kowloon Motor Bus
(KMB) towards Tin Shui Wai
, Yuen Long
. A lorry
running in the middle lane lost control as the bus approached the junction with Tsing Long Highway
. The two vehicles collided, knocking the bus towards the side of the bridge. The bus broke through the parapet
, and plunged into Ting Kau Village 35 metres (115 ft) below, resulting in 21 deaths (including the driver) and 20 injured.
Rescue operations were described as being the most challenging encountered by the fire services
since the fire at Garley Building
. This was due to the constraints at the site (a rural village sited on a steep hillside with no direct road access), and the sheer volume of severely wounded casualties.
The bus was later lifted back onto Tuen Mun Road and transported to the vehicle compound at Siu Ho Wan
. It was however written off
.
The lorry driver was sentenced to 18 months in jail
after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. It is the most serious road accident in Hong Kong history. He later on appeal
ed against the rulings, which were subsequently overturned. He was then found guilty of careless driving, and his sentence was shortened to six months.
Controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a highway designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
which connects Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle...
in the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
with Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan is a bay in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong, opposite to Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged for the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The town is around the present-day Tsuen Wan Station of the MTR...
. It is part of Hong Kong's Route 9
Route 9 (Hong Kong)
Route 9 , Hong Kong is one of the strategic trunk roads, mostly in the form of an freeway, circumnavigating the New Territories. The route was also known as the New Territories Circular Orbital Beltway Ring Road...
, which circumnavigates the New Territories. Built in 1977, it was once the major trunk route linking the northwest New Territories to urban Kowloon and is known for its frequent traffic jams and road accidents owing to its early design and heavy usage.
Alignment
The highway leads off Yuen Long HighwayYuen Long Highway
Yuen Long Highway is a Hong Kong road connecting Au Tau in Yuen Long and Lam Tei in Tuen Mun of New Territories. It is part of Route 9. It was completed in July 1993 and provides a continuation of route 9 from Tuen Mun to Yuen Long leading to the Shap Pat Heung Interchange and Pok Oi Interchange...
at Lam Tei Interchange, where it also interchanges with Castle Peak Road
Castle Peak Road
Castle Peak Road is the longest road in Hong Kong. It runs from Tai Po Road in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon to the very north of the New Territories, serving south, west and north New Territories, being one of the most distant roads in early Hong Kong.-Name:...
and Tsing Lun Road. The next section is a dual 3 lane road through the town centre
Town centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
of Tuen Mun.
Expressway regulations apply from the junction
Junction (road)
A road junction is a location where vehicular traffic going in different directions can proceed in a controlled manner designed to minimize accidents. In some cases, vehicles can change between different routes or directions of travel.-Origins:...
with Wong Chu Road, where it widens to 3 lanes and climbs the hillside beside Sam Shing Hui. It then descends into So Kwun Wat
So Kwun Wat
So Kwun Wat, commonly pronounced So Kwun Fat , is an area on the south coast of the western mainland New Territory in Hong Kong. The proper So Kwun Wat is a human inhabitant in the valley between Siu Lam and Sam Shing Hui...
, crossing the rural area on an embankment
Embankment (transportation)
To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...
. The road then rises again before descending into Siu Lam Interchange, where it interchanges with Castle Peak Road.
From here, the highway crosses the mouth of Tai Lam Chung, and starts climbing the hillsides of Tai Lam through split level terraces (the lower one being the Tuen Mun bound carriageway). The two carriageways join before bypassing the village of Tsing Lung Tau
Tsing Lung Tau
Tsing Lung Tau is a small area in Tsuen Wan West, New Territories in Hong Kong.-Geographical information:It is located on the southwest coast of the New Territories in Hong Kong, between Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun. There are two villages: Tsing Lung Tau Village and Yuen Tun Village, with many...
to the north. This section of road is constructed upon various deep cuttings and high embankments. Afterwards, the road crosses over the village of Sham Tseng
Sham Tseng
Sham Tseng is a coastal area in Tsuen Wan District, Hong Kong, between Ting Kau and Tsing Lung Tau.In 1982, the Government launched a new town project for the area. There were proposals for a massive housing scheme, where the population of the village, then estimated at 6,000, was set to increase...
(situated in a valley) to Sham Tseng Interchange, where it interchanges once again with Castle Peak Road.
The road then climbs towards Ting Kau Interchange with its widest section (5+3 lanes). After this junction with Tsing Long Highway
Tsing Long Highway
Tsing Long Highway is an expressway of Route 3 from North West Tsing Yi Interchange on Tsing Yi Island to Yuen Long, in Hong Kong. Ting Kau Bridge and Tai Lam Tunnel are part of the expressway. It connects with the Tsing Kwai Highway in the south...
, the Highway crosses the valley of Ting Kau
Ting Kau
Ting Kau is an area in west Tsuen Wan District, New Territories, Hong Kong. Ting Kau Village is a village near the shore. The beach nearby, Ting Kau Beach was once a popular beach in Hong Kong. The water quality affected by the treated water injected into Victoria Harbour.Ting Kau is also famous...
with various viaducts, with the Tsuen Wan bound carriageway climbing to meet the split level section into Tsuen Wan. This section is characterised by its tight bends and steep descent eastbound. The two carriageways join as the highway terminates and leads into Tsuen Wan Road
Tsuen Wan Road
Tsuen Wan Road is a dual 3-lane expressway on Route 5 in Hong Kong, bypassing Tsuen Wan. It connects Tuen Mun Road on Route 9 to its west, and Kwai Chung Road to its east....
, with slip roads connecting with Castle Peak Road in Tsuen Wan.
History and development
Tuen Mun Road was one of Hong Kong's first high speed roads, and first to be of restricted access. Its construction proved to be a great challenge for the engineers. The road had to be built along the winding coastline, and the steep terrainTerrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
encountered required the construction of numerous viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
s, culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s and cuttings. To save construction costs, the road was built with narrow carriageway
Carriageway
A carriageway consists of a width of road on which a vehicle is not restricted by any physical barriers or separation to move laterally...
s and substandard geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, causing frequent traffic accidents and subsequent congestion for a long period. Another such measure was putting the construction work into phases.
Phase 1 of the road was built in 1977, being the present day Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan is a bay in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong, opposite to Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged for the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The town is around the present-day Tsuen Wan Station of the MTR...
bound carriageway. Phase 2, which consists of the Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle...
bound carriageway between Sham Tseng
Sham Tseng
Sham Tseng is a coastal area in Tsuen Wan District, Hong Kong, between Ting Kau and Tsing Lung Tau.In 1982, the Government launched a new town project for the area. There were proposals for a massive housing scheme, where the population of the village, then estimated at 6,000, was set to increase...
and Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan
Tsuen Wan is a bay in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong, opposite to Tsing Yi Island across Rambler Channel. The market town of Tsuen Wan emerged for the surrounding villages and fleets of fishing boats in the area. The town is around the present-day Tsuen Wan Station of the MTR...
, was opened in 1981; the remaining Tuen Mun Bound carriageway was completed in 1983.
Since the road was opened, there have been various improvements carried out to meet the increasing traffic demand, such as the addition of uphill crawler lanes (Tsuen Wan Bound) at Sam Shing Hui, So Kwun Wat
So Kwun Wat
So Kwun Wat, commonly pronounced So Kwun Fat , is an area on the south coast of the western mainland New Territory in Hong Kong. The proper So Kwun Wat is a human inhabitant in the valley between Siu Lam and Sam Shing Hui...
, Tai Lam Chung and Ting Kau
Ting Kau
Ting Kau is an area in west Tsuen Wan District, New Territories, Hong Kong. Ting Kau Village is a village near the shore. The beach nearby, Ting Kau Beach was once a popular beach in Hong Kong. The water quality affected by the treated water injected into Victoria Harbour.Ting Kau is also famous...
. The Highways Department has plans to carry out extensive reconstruction works on Tuen Mun Road that will include widening traffic lanes, improving horizontal curvatures and sightlines, and the installation of noise barriers. It is anticipated that these works will commence from mid 2007 and will take around 5 to 6 years to complete.
Tuen Mun Road remains one of the most heavily used roads in Hong Kong, as some drivers heading to Yuen Long
Yuen Long
Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...
shunpike
Shunpiking
The term shunpiking comes from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and pike, a term referring to turnpikes, which are roads that require payment of a toll to travel on them...
Tai Lam Tunnel
Tai Lam Tunnel
Tai Lam Tunnel is a dual 3-lane Route 3 tunnel in Hong Kong. The tunnel and its highway connection itself are also known as Route 3 , which is 10.1 km long connecting Au Tau, Yuen Long and Ting Kau, Tsuen Wan...
, and container trucks use it to access the River Trade Terminal in Tuen Mun.
Bus accident near Ting KauTing KauTing Kau is an area in west Tsuen Wan District, New Territories, Hong Kong. Ting Kau Village is a village near the shore. The beach nearby, Ting Kau Beach was once a popular beach in Hong Kong. The water quality affected by the treated water injected into Victoria Harbour.Ting Kau is also famous...
In the morning of 10 July, 2003, a Neoplan CentrolinerNeoplan Centroliner
The NEOPLAN Centroliner is a series of low floor bus which was first unveiled in 1997, and mainly built by NEOPLAN Bus GmbH for the European market...
bus was running on route 265M of Kowloon Motor Bus
Kowloon Motor Bus
The Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited , a company of the Transport International Holdings Limited, is the largest franchised bus operators in Hong Kong, and one of the largest privately owned public bus operators in the world...
(KMB) towards Tin Shui Wai
Tin Shui Wai
Tin Shui Wai is an area of Hong Kong, located in Yuen Long District, in the northwestern part of the New Territories. Originally a gei wai fish pond area, the ponds were reclaimed for the development of Tin Shui Wai New Town in the late 1980s...
, Yuen Long
Yuen Long
Yuen Long , formerly Un Long, is an area and town located in the northwest of Hong Kong, on the Yuen Long Plain. To its west lie Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen, to the south Shap Pat Heung and Tai Tong, to the east Au Tau and Kam Tin, and to the north Nam Sang Wai.-Name:The Cantonese name Yuen Long 元朗...
. A lorry
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
running in the middle lane lost control as the bus approached the junction with Tsing Long Highway
Tsing Long Highway
Tsing Long Highway is an expressway of Route 3 from North West Tsing Yi Interchange on Tsing Yi Island to Yuen Long, in Hong Kong. Ting Kau Bridge and Tai Lam Tunnel are part of the expressway. It connects with the Tsing Kwai Highway in the south...
. The two vehicles collided, knocking the bus towards the side of the bridge. The bus broke through the parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
, and plunged into Ting Kau Village 35 metres (115 ft) below, resulting in 21 deaths (including the driver) and 20 injured.
Rescue operations were described as being the most challenging encountered by the fire services
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
since the fire at Garley Building
Garley Building
The 1996 Garley building fire was a fire incident that took place on 20 November 1996 in the 16-story Garley commercial building located at 233-239 Nathan Road, in Jordan, Hong Kong. It was a catastrophe that caused the loss of 41 lives and 81 injuries. It is considered the worst building fire in...
. This was due to the constraints at the site (a rural village sited on a steep hillside with no direct road access), and the sheer volume of severely wounded casualties.
The bus was later lifted back onto Tuen Mun Road and transported to the vehicle compound at Siu Ho Wan
Siu Ho Wan
Siu Ho Wan is a bay on the north shore of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The bay is largely reclaimed for the bus depots. The Airport Express, Tung Chung Line of MTR and North Lantau Highway run across the reclamation of the bay...
. It was however written off
Write-off
The term write-off describes a reduction in recognized value. In accounting terminology, it refers to recognition of the reduced or zero value of an asset. In income tax statements, it refers to a reduction of taxable income as recognition of certain expenses required to produce the income...
.
The lorry driver was sentenced to 18 months in jail
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving. It is the most serious road accident in Hong Kong history. He later on appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
ed against the rulings, which were subsequently overturned. He was then found guilty of careless driving, and his sentence was shortened to six months.