Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, government officials and other guests travel to the venue of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link Northern Connection commissioning ceremony in an open-air double-decker via the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel, Dec 26, 2020. (PHOTO/HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor officiated at the commissioning ceremony of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link (TM-CLKL) Northern Connection on Saturday.

"The commissioning of the northern connection has created an opportunity for the quota-free scheme for Hong Kong private cars traveling to Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge," Lam said.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, together with the Guangdong government, is pressing ahead with the scheme to allow eligible Hong Kong private cars to travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong via the HZMB without a quota, Lam said.

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The scheme will assist Hong Kong residents to drive to Guangdong province for business, visiting families or sightseeing on a short-term basis, she added.

In addition, the commissioning of the northern connection will provide better and more reliable transport infrastructure to Lantau, the aviation and land transport “double gateway” connecting Hong Kong to other parts of the world and mainland cities of the Bay Area, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong as an international and regional hub, Lam said.

Hong Kong Director of Highways Jimmy Chan (first left) briefs Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (second left) on the project information and the arrangements for the commissioning of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link Northern Connection, Dec 26, 2020. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

Lam on Saturday took a bus ride through the TM-CLKL Northern Connection to reach the venue of the commissioning ceremony, and was briefed on the project and the relevant traffic arrangements by Director of Highways Jimmy Chan and Commissioner for Transport Rosanna Law, respectively.

The commissioning of the northern connection has created an opportunity for the quota-free scheme for Hong Kong private cars traveling to Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

Carrie Lam, Chief Executive, HKSAR

The northern connection is 5.5km long, of which about 5 km is the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel, a subsea road tunnel connecting Tuen Mun South and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port. Upon the opening of the northern connection, the TM-CLKL will be fully commissioned.

The driving distance between Tuen Mun South and Hong Kong International Airport will be reduced by some 22 km and the journey time by about 20 minutes. The TM-CLKL provides an alternative road access between the airport and the urban area in addition to the Lantau Link. It will help divert traffic to and from Lantau.

The government has decided that the northern connection will be toll-free after an earlier review, according to a statement issued on Saturday.

The freed-up area modified from the original toll plaza will be used as a temporary franchised bus depot and franchised bus parking site in the short to medium term, according to the statement.

The Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel is the longest and deepest subsea road tunnel in Hong Kong, and also the first local subsea tunnel constructed with the tunnel boring method.

Its construction has deployed the world's largest tunnel boring machine with a diameter of 17.6 meters. This is also the first-time application of the saturation diving technique in Hong Kong, which allows a safer and more efficient working environment at about 60 meters below sea level.

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The tunnel is also the first in Hong Kong to include a service gallery underneath the tunnel carriageway, making it more convenient to carry out maintenance works in the future.

Lam expressed her gratitude for the devotion of the project team, contractors, government departments and organizations, as well as the contributions of thousands of workers.

"The completion and commissioning of the TM-CLKL Northern Connection has once again demonstrated Hong Kong's capability in taking forward large-scale infrastructure projects," she said.

The toll-free northern connection will open to traffic at 8 am on Sunday and the tolls of the Lantau Link will be waived from 12 am on the same day.