Deep beneath our feet lies a marvel of engineering. It is the Tate’s Cairn Tunnel. This four-lane road tunnel is a vital artery. It connects Diamond Hill in New Kowloon to Siu Lek Yuen in Sha Tin.
Before the Tate’s Cairn Tunnel, traffic was a nightmare. The Lion Rock Tunnel was heavily congested. Traffic increased by 12% annually since 1977. It became clear that an alternative was needed. Authorities deemed it unfeasible to expand the Lion Rock Tunnel.
The government approved a feasibility study on May 2, 1986. The study gave the green light. It was for a road tunnel linking Sha Tin with East Kowloon. The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel project was born.
Construction began in July 1988. The Gammon-Nishimatsu consortium won the HK$2 billion contract. Building the Tate’s Cairn Tunnel was a complex task. Technical difficulties arose, which doubled the final cost to $2.15 billion.
The tunnel boring was completed in August 1989. The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel finally opened on June 26, 1991. It quickly became popular. 39,000 vehicles used it in the first 21 hours. The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel significantly reduced travel time. The commute from Sha Tin to Central went from an hour to 25 minutes.
The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel is not only convenient. It is also an impressive feat of engineering. The northbound tube stretches 3,913 meters. The southbound tube is slightly longer at 3,945 meters. It was the longest when it opened.
The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel is a BOT project. It was funded entirely by the private sector. The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel Company operated it for 30 years. The Hong Kong Government took over on July 11, 2018.
The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel has a toll plaza on the Sha Tin side. Tolls are collected manually and electronically. Motorcyclists pay $15. Private cars pay $20. Double-decker buses pay $35.
The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel includes many safety features. There are 24 cross passages. There are 160 fire alarms and 156 emergency telephones. The tunnel has 320 fire extinguishers and 82 hose reels. 44 CCTV cameras monitor the inside of the tunnels.
The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel stands as a testament to Hong Kong’s progress. It eased traffic congestion. It improved connectivity. It remains an essential part of Hong Kong’s infrastructure. The Tate’s Cairn Tunnel keeps Hong Kong moving.