Today the roundabout is covered by flyovers leading towards Boundary Street, Prince Edwards Road West, Argyle Street and Ma Tau Chung Road. The only detail I can find about their construction is this:
Since the 1970s, Kai Tak Airport has continued to develop, and the Cross-Harbour Tunnel was opened to traffic in 1972. In order to ease the traffic flow on the road, the government built a number of flyovers across the Kowloon City roundabout. Opened to traffic in stages from February 13 to April 28, 1972.
5. DR CHUNG asked: —
Will the honourable Director of Public Works give a progress report on the Kowloon City flyover complex since his last statement in this Council just over a year ago?
MR ROBSON: —Sir, when Mr CLARKE reported in November 1970, he said that the Argyle Street to Prince Edward Road flyover forming part of the Kowloon City interchange complex would be opened to traffic in January 1971; in the event, traffic was able to use this two-way facility from January 26th this year.
He also said that the whole interchange would be completed in early 1972.
There are in fact two more flyovers in the complex to be opened; one is along Prince Edward Road from Pentland Street to just outside Kai Tak Airport and the other joins Ma Tau Chung Road with Prince Edward Road outside the Airport. I now expect the overall scheme to be completed and in operation not later than May 1972: the Ma Tau Chung Road flyover should be opened a short while before this. Completion of minor ground level work will take a few months longer but this will not affect the operation.
DR S. Y. CHUNG asked: — Will Government state what progress has been made since September 1968 on the construction of Stage I of the road network in Northeast Kowloon and in particular when will the first flyovers at the respective San Po Kong and Kowloon City roundabouts be open to traffic?
MR J. J. ROBSON: —Sir, the honourable Member has asked what progress has been made since September 1968 on the first stage of the improvements to the North-East Kowloon road network and when the first flyovers at the San Po Kong and Kowloon City roundabouts will be opened to traffic.
A start on the ground level road construction in Prince Edward Road and Argyle Street followed in September and the contract for the construction of the super-structure of the two flyovers at the San Po Kong roundabout commenced in October of that year
Is Government aware of the ever-increasing traffic congestion at the two roundabouts along Prince Edward Road (one at Kowloon City and one near San Po Kong, and since this route is the only thoroughfare linking urban Kowloon with the rapidly developed industrial areas of Kwun Tong and San Po Kong, what short- and long-term plans has Government to improve the traffic flow at these two critical points?
MR A. M. J. WRIGHT:—Your Excellency, I can assure Dr CHUNG that Government is well aware of the increasing congestion both at the Kowloon City and San Po Kong roundabouts and in Prince Edward and Kwun Tong Roads. The entire road network in this areas of North-east Kowloon has been the subject of a detailed traffic investigation by the Traffic and Transport Survey Unit of the Public Works Department, and measures to improve the situation, both in the short and the long term, have been included in the Public Works Programme.
In view of the comprehensive nature of the work a special team has been set up within the Civil Engineering Office to co-ordinate and expedite design and construction. We plan to carry out the work in three stages.
Stage I will consist of:—
(i) The extension of Lung Cheung Road between Sha Tin Pass Road and Hammer Hill Road. This will involve the construction of a new road to dual carriageway standards. It will provide an alternative route for traffic between north-east and north-west Kowloon.
(ii) The construction of three flyovers connecting Prince Edward Road (east of Kowloon City Roundabout) with Ma Tau Chung Road, Argyle Street and Prince Edward Road (west of the Roundabout). The Roundabout will be retained to cater for north-south movements and for circulating traffic.
(iii) The duplication of Prince Edward Road between Kowloon City and San Po Kong Roundabout to provide, exclusive of the road within the Airport, a 10-lane divided carriageway. This compares with the existing 4 lanes plus cycle tracks.
(iv) Removal of the roundabout at San Po Kong and the construction of a flyover linking the southbound carriageway of Choi Hung Road with the westbound carriageway of Prince Edward Road.
It is intended that all these works should proceed concurrently. Detailed designs are in hand and it is expected that the whole of Stage I will be completed by 1971. However, these improvements by themselves will be inadequate to meet the expected growth in traffic.
Comments
When were the flyovers built?
Today the roundabout is covered by flyovers leading towards Boundary Street, Prince Edwards Road West, Argyle Street and Ma Tau Chung Road. The only detail I can find about their construction is this:
https://hkbus.fandom.com/wiki/%E4%B9%9D%E9%BE%8D%E5%9F%8E%E8%BF%B4%E6%9…
Since the 1970s, Kai Tak Airport has continued to develop, and the Cross-Harbour Tunnel was opened to traffic in 1972. In order to ease the traffic flow on the road, the government built a number of flyovers across the Kowloon City roundabout. Opened to traffic in stages from February 13 to April 28, 1972.
Kowloon City flyover complex
From Hong Kong Legislative Council —15th December 1971:
https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr71-72/h711215.pdf
Kowloon City flyover complex
5. DR CHUNG asked: —
Will the honourable Director of Public Works give a progress report on the Kowloon City flyover complex since his last statement in this Council just over a year ago?
MR ROBSON: —Sir, when Mr CLARKE reported in November 1970, he said that the Argyle Street to Prince Edward Road flyover forming part of the Kowloon City interchange complex would be opened to traffic in January 1971; in the event, traffic was able to use this two-way facility from January 26th this year.
He also said that the whole interchange would be completed in early 1972.
There are in fact two more flyovers in the complex to be opened; one is along Prince Edward Road from Pentland Street to just outside Kai Tak Airport and the other joins Ma Tau Chung Road with Prince Edward Road outside the Airport. I now expect the overall scheme to be completed and in operation not later than May 1972: the Ma Tau Chung Road flyover should be opened a short while before this. Completion of minor ground level work will take a few months longer but this will not affect the operation.
Roadworks in north-east Kowloon
Plans for the flyovers date back to the late 1960s.
https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr69-70/h700520.pdf
Roadworks in north-east Kowloon
DR S. Y. CHUNG asked: — Will Government state what progress has been made since September 1968 on the construction of Stage I of the road network in Northeast Kowloon and in particular when will the first flyovers at the respective San Po Kong and Kowloon City roundabouts be open to traffic?
MR J. J. ROBSON: —Sir, the honourable Member has asked what progress has been made since September 1968 on the first stage of the improvements to the North-East Kowloon road network and when the first flyovers at the San Po Kong and Kowloon City roundabouts will be opened to traffic.
A start on the ground level road construction in Prince Edward Road and Argyle Street followed in September and the contract for the construction of the super-structure of the two flyovers at the San Po Kong roundabout commenced in October of that year
Traffic congestion: North-east Kowloon
Proposals from 1968.
https://www.legco.gov.hk/1968/h680911.pdf
Traffic congestion: North-east Kowloon
2. DR S. Y. CHUNG asked the following question: —
Is Government aware of the ever-increasing traffic congestion at the two roundabouts along Prince Edward Road (one at Kowloon City and one near San Po Kong, and since this route is the only thoroughfare linking urban Kowloon with the rapidly developed industrial areas of Kwun Tong and San Po Kong, what short- and long-term plans has Government to improve the traffic flow at these two critical points?
MR A. M. J. WRIGHT:—Your Excellency, I can assure Dr CHUNG that Government is well aware of the increasing congestion both at the Kowloon City and San Po Kong roundabouts and in Prince Edward and Kwun Tong Roads. The entire road network in this areas of North-east Kowloon has been the subject of a detailed traffic investigation by the Traffic and Transport Survey Unit of the Public Works Department, and measures to improve the situation, both in the short and the long term, have been included in the Public Works Programme.
In view of the comprehensive nature of the work a special team has been set up within the Civil Engineering Office to co-ordinate and expedite design and construction. We plan to carry out the work in three stages.
Stage I will consist of:—
(i) The extension of Lung Cheung Road between Sha Tin Pass Road and Hammer Hill Road. This will involve the construction of a new road to dual carriageway standards. It will provide an alternative route for traffic between north-east and north-west Kowloon.
(ii) The construction of three flyovers connecting Prince Edward Road (east of Kowloon City Roundabout) with Ma Tau Chung Road, Argyle Street and Prince Edward Road (west of the Roundabout). The Roundabout will be retained to cater for north-south movements and for circulating traffic.
(iii) The duplication of Prince Edward Road between Kowloon City and San Po Kong Roundabout to provide, exclusive of the road within the Airport, a 10-lane divided carriageway. This compares with the existing 4 lanes plus cycle tracks.
(iv) Removal of the roundabout at San Po Kong and the construction of a flyover linking the southbound carriageway of Choi Hung Road with the westbound carriageway of Prince Edward Road.
It is intended that all these works should proceed concurrently. Detailed designs are in hand and it is expected that the whole of Stage I will be completed by 1971. However, these improvements by themselves will be inadequate to meet the expected growth in traffic.