Imagine traffic congestion so intense residents walked across the bridge. That was Tsing Yi Bridge before 1987. Today, we explore this vital link connecting Tsing Yi Island to Kwai Chung.
Tsing Yi Bridge wasn’t always its official name. It opened as Tsing Yi Bridge on February 28, 1974. It was the first bridge to Tsing Yi. This changed after the Tsing Yi North Bridge opened.
The bridge spans the Rambler Channel. It stretches 610 metres long. It stands 26 metres high. Tsing Yi Bridge significantly boosted Tsing Yi’s development. This was especially true in the 1970s and 1980s.
Interestingly, Tsing Yi Bridge is cycle-friendly. It’s the only bridge across the channel for cyclists. Other bridges are expressways. They prohibit cycling. This makes it the sole cycling route. It links Tsing Yi and the Tsuen Wan/Kwai Chung area.
The Tsing Yi Bridge Company Limited built it. This was a joint venture of six Hong Kong companies. These companies included China Light and Power. Others were Hongkong Cement, International Containers, Mobil Oil, Gulf Oil, and Standard Oil. In 1970, they budgeted HK$18 million. The Hong Kong Government added $7.5 million for road connections.
Construction wasn’t immediate. The government granted a licence on May 18, 1971. Gammon Construction was the contractor. W.V. Zinn and Associates were the engineers.
Finally, completed in February 1974, the bridge cost HK$21 million. Sir Murray MacLehose, the Governor of Hong Kong, opened it. The bridge was then given to the Hong Kong Government. The government then built roads to connect different areas. Initially, only permit-holding vehicles could use the bridge. Private cars gained free access from May 1, 1976.
Before the 1987 opening of the Tsing Yi North Bridge, Tsing Yi Bridge was the only fixed link to mainland Hong Kong. It gained notoriety for traffic congestion. When Kwai Chung Port closed for typhoons, lorries blocked the bridge. Residents grew accustomed to walking across during these incidents.
Tsing Yi Bridge has two lanes. Originally, it was two-way. Now, two lanes are outward bound. The Duplicate Tsing Yi Bridge handles inward traffic.
A stone marked the completion on the Pillar Island end. It was moved to Tsing Yi to make way for the Tsing Yi Doubling Bridge.
Tsing Yi Bridge connects to several roads. These include Tsing Yi Road and Tsing Yi Heung Sze Wui Road. It also links to Kwai Tsing Road and Tsing Kwai Highway in Kwai Chung.
The structure consists of five levers. Identical pairs of arms are supported by stands. These stands are 18 metres above the water. Round-shaped caissons sit on the seabed.
The arms are made of pre-tensioned concrete. Their cross-section is of hollow boxes. Power cables and oil pipes run inside. Water pipes for Tsing Yi Island are on both sides.
The bridge provides 7 metres of width for vehicles. It also has a 1.5 metre wide pedestrian walkway on each side. It can withstand typhoons, strong waves, and ship collisions. Protection islands were built to prevent accidents. Warning signs remind ships that only those under 17 metres can sail through. Staying or operating near the bridge is prohibited.
As the population grew, the bridge became overloaded. The two lanes became a bottleneck. Heavy overloading caused the bridge to age quickly. The gap edge bent downward. Though the Tsing Yi North Bridge helped, safety remained a concern.
A rescue plan was implemented. The Duplicate Tsing Yi Bridge was built alongside. It temporarily replaced Tsing Yi Bridge during repairs in 2000. Tensioned steel cables replaced aging ones. After the project, both bridges served the island again.
On its 10th birthday, a carnival took place. It was held on the football field near Cheung Ching Estate.