Route 8 (Hong Kong)
Route 8 (Chinese: 八號幹線) of Hong Kong is a dual 3-lane carriageway motorway that links Lantau Island, Tsing Yi Island, Cheung Sha Wan in West Kowloon, and Sha Tin in the southeast New Territories of Hong Kong. It is a combination of many sections.
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsing Sha Highway (Sha Tin T3, Tai Wai Tunnel, Sha Tin Heights Tunnel, Eagle's Nest Tunnel, Lai Chi Kok Viaduct, Stonecutters Bridge, Nam Wan Tunnel), Lantau Link (Tsing Ma Bridge, Ma Wan Viaduct, Kap Shui Mun Bridge), North Lantau Highway | ||||
 Route 8 coloured red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Highways Department | ||||
| Length | 33.1 km (20.6 mi) 32.6 kilometres (20.3 mi) eastbound | |||
| Existed | 1997–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end |  Route 9 in Sha Tin Town Centre | |||
 Route 7 near Lai Chi Kok Route 3 in Cheung Sha Wan Route 3 in Tsing YiPenny's Bay Highway near Sunny Bay/Yam O | ||||
| West end | Airport Road near Hong Kong International Airport | |||
| Location | ||||
| Districts | Sha Tin, Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Islands | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
The section from Lantau to Tsing Yi is made up of the existing North Lantau Highway and Lantau Link, which opened in 1997. Route 8 becomes Airport Road at Chek Lap Kok.
The section between Tsing Yi and Cheung Sha Wan, formerly known as Route 9, is a 7.6-kilometre (4.7 mi) dual 3-lane expressway. This section consists of the Stonecutters Bridge, which spans the Rambler Channel from Stonecutters Island and links with the Lantau Link through the Nam Wan Tunnel and West Tsing Yi viaduct and was opened on 20 December 2009. This section provides traffic with a more direct route to the Lantau Link, particularly vehicles from Tsim Sha Tsui and Western Harbour Crossing, previously vehicles had to use Route 3 (Cheung Tsing Bridge and Cheung Tsing Tunnel).
The remaining section links Cheung Sha Wan and Tai Wai, formerly known as Route 16. It is composed of the Eagle's Nest Tunnel and Sha Tin Heights Tunnel, totalling 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) in length and connecting Route 9 at its Sha Tin terminus. It was opened on 21 March 2008.[1][2]
Areas passed through by Route 8 include Hong Kong International Airport, Tung Chung, Hong Kong Disneyland, Ma Wan, Tsing Yi, West Kowloon, and Sha Tin.
History
The current Route 8 section was planned in 1990, in line with the Airport Core Programme. The section from Chek Lap Kok to Tsing Yi is called Route 9; the section from Tsing Yi to Sha Tin is called Route 16. The former was opened to traffic on May 22, 1997, including North Lantau Highway, Kap Shui Mun Bridge and Tsing Ma Bridge.
In November 2002, the construction of Route 16 (now Route 8 from Tsing Yi section to Sha Tin section) began. On January 31, 2004, according to the Third generation of Route number system, Route 9 and Route 16 were merged into Route 8. Among them, the Nam Wan Tunnel was completed as early as February 25, 2005, but it was opened to traffic only after the completion of the Stonecutters Bridge.
In 2008, the section between Cheung Sha Wan and Sha Tin of Route 8 was completed and was named Tsing Sha Highway. The Community Chest held the New Territories Million Walk on this section on February 24. The Tsing Sha Highway was opened to traffic on March 21.
In 2009, the section between Cheung Sha Wan and Tsing Yi section of Route 8 was completed, and the Community Chest held a million trip on the Stonecutters Bridge and the Nam Wan Tunnel on November 15. The remaining section of the Tsing Sha Highway was opened to traffic on December 20, and the same day also marked the full opening of the Route 8.
Observed roads and exits
| Westbound towards Chek Lap Kok | Eastbound towards Sha Tin | ||
| Exit | Destination | Exit | Destination |
| Sha Tin (intersection with Route 9) | |||
| Tsing Sha Highway | |||
| 1 | Mei Tin Road | 1 | Mei Tin Road
Tai Wai, Route 9 clockwise to Tsuen Wan via Shing Mun Tunnels |
| 1A | Tai Po Road | ||
| Tai Wai Tunnel | |||
| 1B | Che Kung Miu Road | ||
| Sha Tin Heights Tunnel | |||
| Eagle's Nest Tunnel | |||
| Lai Chi Kok Viaduct | |||
| 1C | Ching Cheung Road (westbound)
Route 7 westbound to Kwai Chung |
||
| 2A | Lai Wan Interchange
Cheung Sha Wan and Hong Kong (West) (Route 3 southbound) |
||
| 2B | West Kowlooon Highway
Route 3 southbound to Tsim Sha Tsui and Hong Kong | ||
| 2C | Container Port Road South | ||
| 2D | Container Port Road South | ||
| Stonecutters Bridge | |||
| 3 | Tsing Yi Road | 3 | Tsing Yi Road
Tsing Yi, Container Terminal 9 |
| Nam Wan Tunnel | |||
| 3A | Ting Kau Bridge
Route 3 northbound to Yuen Long via Tai Lam Tunnel |
||
| 4A | Cheung Tsing Tunnel
Route 3 southbound to Hong Kong West, Kowloon, Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung | ||
| 4B | Ting Kau Bridge
Route 3 northbound to Yuen Long via Tai Lam Tunnel | ||
| Tsing Ma Bridge | |||
| 4C | Ma Wan Road
Ma Wan (with authorized permit only) |
||
| Kap Shui Mun Bridge | |||
| North Lantau Highway | |||
| 5 | Penny's Bay Highway
Disneyland and Sunny Bay |
5 | Penny's Bay Highway
Disneyland and Sunny Bay |
| 5A | Shun Long Road | ||
| 6 | Siu Ho Wan Depot | 6 | Siu Ho Wan Depot |
| 6A | Shun Long Road | ||
| 6B | Yu Tung Road
Tung Chung Town Centre |
||
| 6C | Tung Chung Waterfront Road
Tung Chung North |
||
| Hong Kong International Airport | |||
See also
References
- "八號幹線沙田至長沙灣通車". Mingpao. 2008-03-21. Archived from the original on 2008-03-25.
- "Route 8 between Cheung Sha Wan and Sha Tin". Highways Department. Archived from the original on 2008-03-09. Retrieved 2008-02-18.