Cheung Tsing Tunnel

Cheung Tsing Tunnel, also spelled Cheung Ching Tunnel, is a dual-tube, 3-lane tunnel on Tsing Yi Island, Hong Kong. It is part of Route 3. Its east end connects to Cheung Tsing Bridge and west Cheung Tsing Highway. The tunnel was opened on 22 May 1997 and is the second toll-free tunnel in Hong Kong. Its length is about 1.6 kilometres.

Cheung Tsing Tunnel

Overview
Coordinates	22.34877°N 114.11188°E / 22.34877; 114.11188
Status	Active
System	Part of Route 3
Start	Cheung Tsing Bridge
End	Cheung Tsing Highway
Operation
Opened	22 May 1997; 27 years ago (1997-05-22)
Owner	Hong Kong Government
Traffic	Vehicular
Technical
Length	1.6 km (0.99 mi)
No. of lanes	6 lanes (3 lanes per direction)
Operating speed	70 km/h (45 mph)

Cheung Tsing Tunnel
Traditional Chinese	長青隧道
Simplified Chinese	长青隧道
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chángqīng Suìdào Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization cheung4 ching1 seui6 dou6

Cheung Tsing Tunnel interior

Construction

The tunnel was named "Cheung Ching" (長青) because it is beneath Cheung Ching Estate, the first public housing estate on the island.

Construction through the granite of Tsing Yi Peak required explosives to get through the hardness of the hill. To prevent dislodging of rocks and buildings on the surface slopes, the rocks were reinforced by concrete and steel. Although the tunnel used explosives in its construction, boring was more used as the primary digging procedure.

Construction commenced in May 1993 and was completed in January 1997.^[1]

Management

The tunnel was managed by Tsing Ma Management Limited under Tsing Ma Control Area, along with Tsing Ma Bridge, Kap Shui Mun Bridge, Ting Kau Bridge, Rambler Channel Bridge, North Lantau Highway and Tsing Kwai Highway.

The tunnel traffic is monitored in the buildings at both end, namely East Portal and West Portal Buildings.