Bus journey from Kwun Tong to Zhongshan took six hours, significantly longer than the expected 90 minutes
Hong Kong residents experienced extended travel times on the first day of the new Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, a major infrastructure project over the Pearl River Delta, due to heavy traffic congestion.
A Post reporter joined local tourists on the inaugural bus trip via the 24km Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which opened on Sunday after seven years of construction. The link connects the cities through two bridges, two artificial islands, and a sea tunnel.
The bus journey from Kwun Tong to Zhongshan on the western side of the delta took six hours, far exceeding the expected 90 minutes.
At 2 pm, the reporter boarded one of the first buses to Zhongshan, crossing into mainland China at the Shenzhen Bay port at 3:20 pm after clearing customs.
The operator, Eternal East Bus Group Management, initially estimated the journey would take 45 minutes via the new 44.69 billion yuan (US$6.15 billion) route. However, heavy congestion on the Guangshen Coastal Expressway, a major route connected to the project, resulted in a three-hour and five-minute delay.
The bus reached the 6km entrance tunnel of the new link in Shenzhen at 6:25 pm and passed through the tunnel at 7 pm. Along the way, dozens of drivers were observed parking their cars in the emergency lane and taking photos on the connecting bridge.
The bus finally arrived in Zhongshan at 8:05 pm.
Chan Kam-wai, 76, a retiree traveling with eight family members, expressed frustration over the long journey, especially as her grandchildren went hungry and struggled without bathroom facilities. Chan, who paid HK$249 per person for the bus tickets and a one-night hotel stay, also voiced concerns over the management of the link.
“Seeing people parked dangerously and taking photos without any intervention seemed unreasonable,” she said. “On the first day of such a major infrastructure opening, the chaotic management is hard to accept.”
Housewife Amy Yue, 50, who traveled with her son and sister, said she would reconsider future bus trips to Zhongshan due to the unpredictable nature of the journey.
“The traffic jam wasted half a day,” Yue said. “Next time, I’ll probably stick to going to Shenzhen as it’s more manageable.”
Lawmaker Gary Zhang Xinyu, who serves on the Legislative Council’s transport affairs panel, was also on board the bus. He noted the disparity between planning and the actual situation, highlighting the need to identify and address the bottleneck.
Lawmakers Johnny Ng Kit-chong and Michael Lee Chun-keung, who traveled separately by car, also encountered significant traffic on the Guangshen Coastal Expressway and had to adjust their plans, eventually taking a longer route via the Humen Bridge.
Despite the inconvenience, Ng expressed confidence that such traffic jams would not be a regular occurrence, attributing the congestion to the high anticipation on the first day.
Lee suggested that if the link could eventually reduce travel time to 30 minutes as promised, it could attract more young people and retirees from Hong Kong to Zhongshan due to its lower cost of living.
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