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6.5.3 The redistribution of traffic caused by the WHC would affect traffic conditions onthe north shore of Hong Kong island and parts of Kowioon. Volumes on main streetsin Central, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay would decrease as traffic previouslyapproaching the Cross Harbour tunnel (CHT) diverts to the WHC. Kowioon trafficvolumes would decrease in the central corridor linking the existing Cross-Harbourtunnel to Lion Rock tunnel, and would increase on the West Kowioon Corridor andon Waterloo Road.6.5.4 The economic evaluation showed the highest return of all major projects indicatingthat it is a very worthwhile project.6.5.5 The Western Harbour Crossing is dependent on a landfall provided by the southernsection of the planned West Kowioon Reclamation. The programme (in late 1988)for the West Kowioon Reclamation indicated that this portion of the reclamationcould likely be completed by 1 993 and hence facilitate the construction of the WHCin early 1990s. It has been suggested that the interchange required on Hong Kongisland for this 6-iane facility may be too large to be accommodated on the WesternReclamation in Sai Ying Pun. If so, the alternatives might be to either construct theWHC as a 4-iane facility or relocate the interchange westward to the proposedGreen Island Reclamation. Both alternatives have disadvantages. A 4-lane facilitywould provide less cross-harbour road capacity leading to a shortfall in trafficcapacity by the late 1990s. On the other hand, a relocated tunnel would beconsiderably longer and less likely to divert traffic from the other two crossings. Therelocation would also make the WHC dependent on the timing of the Green IslandReclamation, which is unlikely to be in place before 1996.6.5.6 If a site for the replacement airport is selected in the Western Harbour, with portexpansion on Lantau, the resulting airport and port traffic would require a 10-lanefacility by 2001, effectively two new crossings in the Western Harbour.?7 Conclusions—Tests have shown a critical need for additional cross-harbour roadcapacity by the mid-1990s. Completion of a 6-Iane Western Harbour Crossing bythe mid-1990s would result in satisfactory operations on all three tunnels up to2001. However, a decision to relocate the airport to the Western Harbour wouldrequire a serious re-evaluation of the requirements for the crossing. This project hasthe highest priority for investment.Route 3 (West Kowioon Expressway)6.5.8 The West Kowioon Expressway (WKE) is a proposed dual 3-Iane trunk road throughthe West Kowioon Reclamation. It would form a section of Route 3 between theWestern Harbour Crossing and Kwai Chung.6.5.9 Daily traffic volume on the WKE in 2001 is projected at 141 000 pcus per day on theLai Chi Kok section, rising to 160 000 on the Yau Ma Tei section at V/C ratios of 0.9and 1.1 respectively. This compares with 143000 pcus per day projected for theWestern Harbour Crossing. The WKE is expected to operate at capacity southboundsouth of Tonkin Street. Approximately 60% of this volume is taken from local streetsin Las Chi Kok and Yau Ma Tei while the balance is diverted from central Kowioon.6.5.10 The Single Year Rate of Return (SYRR) for the WKE is the second highest of themajor projects under evaluation. It is a very worthwhile project.6.5.11 This project is dependent on the West Kowioon Reclamation. Current thinking isthat the earliest reasonable completion date for the reclamation is 1997, except forone section in Sham Shui Po which could only be completed after relocation of thetemporary wholesale market at a later date. Timing of the reclamation project issubject to considerable uncertainty, as it depends on the reprovisioning of a largenumber of facilities in a sequence of interrelated steps. In view of this constraint theWKE project was not assumed to be in place before mid-1990s.105