Tolo Highway
Route
CountryHKG
Route9
Alternate namePart of Route 9
MaintHighways Department
Length11.3 km
Established1987
Direction aEast
Terminus aSha Tin (near Ma Liu Shui)
Junction8 in total;
Route 2 at Ma Liu Shui
Direction bWest
Terminus bTai Po (Tai Hang San Wai)

Tolo Highway (Chinese: 吐露港公路) is a major expressway on Route 9 in Hong Kong. It connects the new towns of Sha Tin and Tai Po in the eastern New Territories, forming part of the New Territories Circular Road.

The 11.3-kilometre (7.0-mile) highway, constructed in three stages between 1985 and 1987, was so named as it skirts the western edge of Tolo Harbour.

Route description

The highway diverges from Tai Po Road near Sha Tin Racecourse. The following 7.3 kilometres (4.5 mi) of the road, running alongside the East Rail line, was built on an embankment on the west coast of Tolo Harbour towards Yuen Chau Tsai (Island House), which marks the eastern end of the Tai Po New Town. Construction began in March 1999 to expand the section to a dual four-lane carriageway and was finished in August 2003.[1] The section below the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong has since become landlocked owing to the reclamation for the Hong Kong Science Park.

The next section, 5 km (3.1 mi) long, bypasses Tai Po on the hills to its south, over Wun Yiu, Ma Wo and Pun Chun Yuen. As the alignment crosses a number of remote ravines far away from existing roads, four bridges along the bypass had to be incrementally launched. This was the first instance of such bridge building technique being adopted in Hong Kong.[2] Originally a dual 3-lane carriageway, this section was upgraded to a dual four-lane carriageway between August 2009 and March 2014.[3] The speed limit for the section was temporarily reduced to 80 km/h (50 mph) from 100 km/h (62 mph) during the widening works.

The road ends at Lam Kam Road Interchange, where it connects to Fanling Highway via a viaduct and interchanges with Lam Kam Road, Tai Po Road and Tai Wo Service Road West.

Interchanges and Junctions

There are 6 junctions along Tolo Highway: Sha Tin Racecourse, Ma Liu Shui, Science Park, Island House, Tat Wan Road and Tai Po Tai Wo Road.

Tolo Highway
DistrictLocationkm[4][5]Interchange nameExitDestinations[6]Notes
Sha TinFo Tan8.9Tai Po Road – Sha Tin – Sha Tin, KowloonSouthern terminus; continues
8.93Sha Tin RacecourseNorthbound exit and southbound entrance from and to Tai Po Road – Sha Tin
Ma Liu Shui10.1Ma Liu Shui Interchange3A( Tate's Cairn Highway) – Ma On Shan, Kowloon EastSouthbound exit and northbound entrance only
10.14Chak Cheung Street / Science Park Road – Ma Liu Shui, University, Science ParkSouthbound entrance from Sui Cheung Street
Tai PoPak Shek Kok13.44AChong San Road – Pak Shek Kok, Science ParkNo northbound exit
Tai Po16.0Island House Interchange5Tai Po Road – Yuen Chau Tsai – Tai Po Market
Yuen Shin Road – Tai Po Central, Industrial Estate
17.05ATat Wan Road – Tai Po (South)Northbound exit and southbound entrance only
Tai Wo19.5Tai Po North Interchange6Tai Po Tai Wo Road – Tai Po (North)
Tai Hang20.2Lam Kam Road Interchange7Lam Kam Road / Tai Wo Service Road West – Shek Kong, Hong Lok Yuen
Fanling Highway – Fanling, Sheung Shui, Yuen Long

Northern terminus; continues

See also

References

References

  1. ^ "Widening of Tolo Highway between Island House Interchange and Ma Liu Shui Interchange". Highways Department. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
  2. ^ The New Territories Trunk Road (Sha Tin to Fanling Section). Hong Kong: The Government Printer. 1985.
  3. ^ "Widening of Tolo Highway/Fanling Highway between Island House Interchange and Tai Hang". Highways Department. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  4. ^ "Open Source Routing Machine". Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  5. ^ "Google Maps Street View". Google. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Route Diagram - Route 9". Transport Department of the Government of Hong Kong. Retrieved 10 January 2014.