To relieve the issue of congestion, the idea of constructing an elevated vehicular corridor in the Eastern District was brought out in 1968, as part of the Hong Kong Long Term Road Study. The original plan was to construct an elevated dual carriageway above King's Road, which continues eastward as a ground-level road along the coastline between Sai Wan Ho and Chai Wan.[2] Such an alignment along King's Road was later discarded in favour of a waterfront viaduct running parallel to King's Road. It was not until 8 April 1981, 20 May 1982 and 5 August 1986 that construction commenced on the three sections of the corridor, respectively.[3] The corridor was opened in three phases: Causeway Bay to Taikoo Shing on 8 June 1984; Taikoo Shing to Shau Kei Wan on 26 July 1985; and Shau Kei Wan to Chai Wan on 12 October 1989.[1]
Work has been done to the expressway several times over its life, including the bridge diversions at Quarry Bay, completed in 2003, where Route 4 joins with Route 2. There is also a proposed extension of the Corridor into the hills of Chai Wan and Siu Sai Wan. The section of viaduct near City Garden has also been rebuilt and expanded so that it could become the eastern terminus of the Central–Wan Chai Bypass.[4]
In 2008, the Island Eastern Corridor became the new venue of the Hong Kong Marathon10km race, held on 17 February 2008. The race track started from City Garden in North Point, and ran eastwards until Shau Kei Wan, where it made a U-turn, back along westbound IEC and ended at Victoria Park, near the western terminus of the IEC. The noise problem caused by the IEC's design became evident as residents complained about noises as high as 60 dB emitting at about five to six o'clock in the morning.[5][6]
In February 2008, the Government announced that it will construct a waterfront promenade between Causeway Bay and Sai Wan Ho, with significant sections at North Point running under Island Eastern Corridor, using floating boards. However, the Government is concerned about the plan violating the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance, since the boards may need to extend seabound due to the lack of space. Further study will take place regarding the feasibility of the project. When it is finished, a continuous promenade will be formed between Central and Sai Wan Ho, together with recreational land use projects related to the Central–Wan Chai Bypass.[7]
Alignment
The corridor starts at Causeway Bay as a viaduct, where it joins Victoria Park Road and Gloucester Road with a ramp. It then heads east along the coast of North Point, still a viaduct until it comes to Quarry Bay where it descends onto ground level, and interchanges with the approach road of Eastern Harbour Crossing. After passing Taikoo Shing, the corridor becomes a viaduct again, now crossing between Sai Wan Ho and Aldrich Bay, making a broad curve toward the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, where it returns to ground level and runs past A Kung Ngam and Heng Fa Chuen all the way towards Chai Wan. It ends near Chai Wan Park, at a large roundabout with Chai Wan Road and Wan Tsui Road in Chai Wan, just next to MTR Chai Wan station.
The full length of the corridor, save for a small section in Chai Wan between its eastern terminus and Wing Tai Road, is a statutorily-designated expressway (under section 123(1) of the Road Traffic Ordinance, Cap. 374, Laws of Hong Kong).[8] Speed limit for the expressway portion of IEC is 70 km/h.
Criticism
It is often criticised for using up the seafront which could have been enjoyed by residents of Hong Kong had alternative alignments been chosen. Residents have also complained about traffic noises owing to some sections' proximity to residential buildings, and it could be advised that there would have to be sound barriers installed along this section. It has been suggested that the Watson Road – Tin Chiu Street section of the corridor be replaced with a tunnel, but was never considered due to the complex nature of the necessary works.[9]
Junctions along the Corridor
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^Freeman, Fox, Wilbur Smith & Associates (1968). Hong Kong Long Term Road Study. Hong Kong: The Government Printer.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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