[Hong Kong, February 27, 2019]: With the staging of the HKT Hong Kong E-Prix on Sunday 10 March, a number of roads in the Central Harbourfront area will be closed temporarily for use as part of the race track. The organiser together with Hong Kong Police Force and Transport Department holds press conference today to announce the temporary traffic arrangement for the event.

Public transportation routes, which operate on certain parts of Man Po Street, Man Kwong Street, Man Cheung Street, Man Yiu Street, Lung Wo Road, and the entire Yiu Sing Street, will be closed from 01:15am on 9 March (Saturday) to 05:15am on 11 March 2019 (Monday). Vehicle access, pedestrian path and crossings will all be suspended during this period.

On March 9 and 10, members of the public are recommended to:

-Use public transport to travel to Central, Admiralty and Wan Chai.

-Use at-grade carriageway such as Connaught Road West, Connaught Road Central and Harcourt Road if heading to Central

-Use temporary bus route No. FE1 to connect the Central Pier to Hong Kong Station, Central (Exchange Square) and Rumsey Street (near Li Po Chun Chambers, Connaught Road Central). Passengers can collect complimentary tickets from the organizer at the temporary bus stops for these rides.

In order to cope with the latest road layout changes in the vicinity of the race track, the temporary traffic diversion arrangement would be slightly different in this year. To facilitate associated race track works, the following plans will be implemented for vehicles and pedestrians over the aforementioned period:

Traffic diversion from the West:

From 01.15 am on 09 March 2019 (Saturday) to 5.15 am on 10 March 2019 (Sunday)

-The eastbound entrance of Central Wan Chai Bypass (CWB) at Man Kat Street at-grade road will be temporarily closed. Eastbound vehicles heading for Wan Chai (N) and North Point will be diverted via Connaught Road Central, Harcourt Road Gloucester Road.

-Kong Chung Lane will be temporarily closed. Vehicles not exceeding 11m in length heading for IFC or Airport Express Carpark will be diverted via Man Kat Street, Connaught Road Central, Man Yiu Street, Man Cheung Street, existing U-turn facility at Man Cheung Street, Man Yiu Street and Finance Street.

From 08.00 am on 09 March 2019 (Saturday) to 04.00 pm on 09 March 2019 (Saturday)

-Vehicles on Connaught Road West at-grade road eastbound are prohibited from turning right to Eastern Street southbound.

-Vehicles on Eastern Street North southbound are prohibited from going straight to Eastern Street southbound.

-Vehicles on Connaught Road West at-grade road eastbound or Eastern Street North southbound heading for Eastern Street westbound or U-turn to Connaught Road West westbound will be diverted via Western Fire Services Street and Connaught Road West.

From 01.15 am on 09 March 2019 to 5.15 am on 11 March 2019

-Connaught Road Central Flyover to Man Po Street exit will be temporarily closed. Eastbound vehicles from Shing Sai Road, Hill Road Flyover, Western Harbour Crossing Hong Kong exit and Connaught Road West near Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park at-grade road cannot proceed to Central, Admiralty and Mid-levels. Vehicles will be diverted via at-grade of Connaught Road West, Connaught Road Central and Harcourt Road to Central.

-The eastbound exit of Man Po Street at Connaught Road Central Flyover will be temporarily closed. Vehicles from Connaught Road Central Flyover can only proceed to Wan Chai (N) and North Point via CWB.

-Vehicles over 7m (Except for Buses) are prohibited to enter Central Ferry Pier via Man Kwong Street.

-Vehicles entering Central Pier have to proceed to Connaught Road Central via Central Ferry Piers temporary road, Finance Street and the re-routed slip road of Man Cheung Street.

-The slip road at Man Cheung Street near Man Kat Street will be reversed in direction from existing one-way northbound traffic to one-way southbound traffic. Vehicles exceeding 11m in length (Except Franchised Buses) from Finance Street are prohibited to enter Man Cheung Street eastbound and have to proceeded to Connaught Road Central via the above slip road.

-Temporary traffic signal will be implemented at the junction of Man Cheung Street, Finance Street and Man Kat Street.

-The junction of Man Kat Street/Man Cheung Street eastbound will be closed to general traffic (Except franchised buses). Vehicles not exceeding 11m in length heading for IFC or Airport Express Carpark will be diverted via Man Kat Street, Connaught Road Central, Man Yiu Street, Man Cheung Street, existing U-turn facility at Man Cheung Street, Man Yiu Street and Finance Street.

-Vehicles exceeding 11m in length from Man Cheung Street westbound are prohibited turning right to Man Cheung Street eastbound at the Man Cheung Street signalized junction.

-A section of Chung Kong Road between Rumsey Street and Exit of Shun Tak Centre will be reversed in diversion from existing one-way eastbound traffic to one-way westbound traffic.

-Vehicles heading for Pok Fu Lam via Western Harbour Crossing are advised to use Shek Tong Tsui Exit, and use Connaught Road West, Ka On Street, Des Voeux Road West, Queen Street, Connaught Road West and Western Street to Pok Fu Lam.

-Vehicles heading for Sai Ying Pun via Western Harbour Crossing are advised to use Shek Tong Tsui Exit, and use Connaught Road West, Ka On Street, Des Voeux Road West, Queen Street, Connaught Road West and Eastern Street to Sai Ying Pun.

From 05.15 am on 10 March 2019 (Sunday) to 5.15 am on 11 March 2019

-Kong Chung Lane will be closed (Except franchised buses). Vehicles not exceeding 11m in length heading for IFC or Airport Express Carpark will be diverted via Man Kat Street, Connaught Road Central, Man Yiu Street, Man Cheung Street, existing U-turn facility at Man Cheung Street, Man Yiu Street and Finance Street.

Traffic diversion from the East:

From 01.15 am on 09 March 2019 (Saturday) to 5.15 am on 10 March 2019 (Sunday)

-Exit of CWB westbound to Central will be temporarily closed. Westbound vehicles from Tin Hau (until 05:15 11^th March 2019) or Island Eastern Corridor (North Point Section) heading for Central and Sheung Wan are advised to use Gloucester Road, Harcourt Road and Connaught Road Central.

From 01.15 am on 09 March 2019 (Saturday) to 5.15 am on 11 March 2019 (Monday)

-Exit of CWB westbound to Airport Express Station will be temporarily closed. Westbound vehicles from Tin Hau Street or Island Eastern Corridor (North Point Section) heading for Central and Sheung Wan are advised to use Gloucester Road, Harcourt Road, Connaught Road Central, Man Yiu Street and Man Cheung Street.

-Vehicles from Fenwick Pier Street westbound and P2 at-grade road westbound, except for those heading for Legislative Council Road, Tim Mei Avenue, Central Government Office, Chief Executive Office and PLA Headquarters, have to proceed to Connaught Road Central westbound via Fenwick Pier Street Flyover.

-Since Lung Wo Road will be closed, vehicles heading for City Hall and Edinburgh Place have to proceed via Connaught Road Central, while vehicles heading for Legislative Council Building may proceed to Legislative Council Road via Connaught Road Central and Lung Wui Road.

-Vehicles from CWB westbound heading for P2 road via Wan Chai (N) exit will be diverted via Lung King Street, Fenwick Pier Street, Harbour Road and Fleming Road.

-Vehicles on Expo Drive Central eastbound are prohibited from turning right to Expo Drive East southbound. Vehicles will be diverted via Expo Drive East, roundabout and Expo Drive East.

-Vehicles on Expo Drive East northbound are prohibited from using existing U-turn facility to Expo Drive East southbound. Vehicles will be diverted via Expo Drive East, roundabout and Expo Drive East.

Suggested pedestrian route during the Event:

-There are 3 Event Entrances Gates located at Central Pier No. 9, Edinburgh Place (West) and Lung Wo Road near Central Government Office respectively. The Organizer will have control measures of public access and traffic flow to separate the spectators and general passers-by.  General public can continue to take various routes to go to different locations of the Central Harbourfront.

-Most of the pedestrian paths and crossings at Man Yiu Street (between Lung Wo Road and Man Kwong Street) will be temporarily closed during the Event, but the footbridge connecting the Central Pier, MTR Hong Kong Station and IFC2 are open for public use as usual.

-Pedestrian path at Lung Wo Road (between Man Yiu Street and Tim Mei Avenue) will be temporarily closed. Public can use the pedestrian path along Connaught Road Central, Tamar Park and Waterfront Promenade to go to Edinburgh Place, City Hall, PLA Headquarters, Central Government Office and Chief Executive Office.

Public transport arrangement during the Event

-After consulting with the relevant public transport operators, the temporary public transport arrangement are proposed as follow:

(1)Franchised Bus services: After full road closure in the vicinity of Central Pier, Central Pier Bus Terminus and bus stop along Man Kwong Street and Man Yiu Street will be temporarily suspended. Number of existing routes will be still remained, but part of the routes will be adjusted and certain stops / terminus will be relocated. Temporary bus route No. FE1 will be provided to carry passengers between Central Pier and temporary bus stops. Bus stops of the free temporary bus route will be located at Central Pier No.3, Central Pier No.5, Hong Kong Station, Central (Exchange Square) and Rumsey Street (near Li Po Chun Chambers, Connaught Road Central) respectively. Passengers could collect tickets from the organizer at the temporary bus stops for free rides.

(2)GMB services: Number of existing routes will be still remained, but part of the routes will be adjusted and certain stops / terminus will be relocated.

(3)GMB stops & Taxi stands: GMB stop near Central Pier No. 6 will be relocated to the Taxi pick-up / drop-off point near Central Pier No. 5, the Taxi Stand will be relocated to existing GMB stop near Central Pier No.6, and the above Taxi pick-up / drop-off point will be relocated near Central Pier No.6.

(4)Non-franchised Bus services: Non-franchised bus using Man Kwong Street and Man Cheung Street will be affected that their pick-up / drop-off points and routing will be slightly adjusted.

Temporary traffic arrangement before and after the Event (28 February (Thursday) – 8 March (Friday) and 11 (Monday)-18 March (Monday))

For the safety of the race crew and spectators, and control measures of public access, the Organizer will install grandstand, spectator stand fences and other temporary measures, in addition to the set-up of pit stop and carnival area.  The installation works of concrete safety barriers and race route barriers will start from 28 February (Thursday) and such works will be conducted during night times in 6 phases to minimize its impact to the traffic nearby.  The Organizer has proposed alternative routes for the temporary road closure and the public road will be narrowed after the temporary constructions are in place.  The restoration works will be conducted after the Event until 06:00 on 18 March (Monday).

The following public roads will be closed or diverted:

All existing pedestrian crossings and footbridges will not be affected, but certain parts of the following paths will be temporarily closed or narrowed down to width not less than 1.5m:

-Northern kerbside pedestrian path of Yiu Sing Street, between Man Yiu Street and Yiu Sing Street roundabout, will be temporarily closed.

-Pedestrian path of Central Post Office east and north will be temporarily closed.

-Most of the pedestrian path between Edinburgh Place and Lung Wo Road will be temporarily closed, but footpaths with minimum 1.5m in width would be maintained for public access.

The following footpath will be temporarily narrowed down:

-Pedestrian path between Edinburgh Place and Connaught Place

-Southern kerbside pedestrian path of Lung Wo Road, between Star Ferry Car Park and Edinburgh Place and between Edinburgh Place and Tim Wah Avenue

-Western kerbside pedestrian path of Man Yiu Street, between Man Po Street and Central Pier Bus Terminal entrance

The following motorcycle parking lots will be temporarily relocated:

-14 nos. of parking lot at the Pick-up /Drop-off point between Lung Wo Road and Central Post Office will be suspended.

Relocated 14 spaces next to the motorcycle parking lots at the Edinburgh Place North and West.

Date: 1 March to 15 March

-20 nos. of parking lot at the Pick-up/Drop-off area at Man Kat Street near to the Central Pier 6 will be suspended.

Relocated 25 spaces at the taxi stand at Man Kwong Street near to the Central Pier 2.

Date: 8 March to 11 March

In order to minimize the impact to the public road users nearby, the Organizer appointed a traffic consultant to conduct a study of traffic Impact of the Event, and proposed a series of temporary traffic arrangement and submitted to the relevant government departments. Transport Department together with Hong Kong Police Force and others relevant government departments will activate the Emergency Transport Co-ordination Centre before, during and after the Event Days to closely monitor the traffic situation and public transport services within the affected area. Before the event days, the Organizer and consultant will continue to liaise with the stakeholders and communicate through mass media about the Event updates and information of temporary traffic arrangement. Organizer and consultant have formulated temporary contingency traffic arrangements for Event Days, and will implement appropriate control measures when necessary, to ensure that public processions or assemblies can be held smoothly, and the effect on the public can be minimized.

Event ambassadors will also be deployed to the surrounding areas of the Event site before and during the Event days to distribute Temporary Traffic Arrangement leaflets and provide necessary assistance to the general public.  They are strongly recommended to use public transportation service to go to the area. They may also utilize the temporary bus service to commute between Central Pier and the temporary bus stops.

For more detailed information of temporary traffic arrangement, please visit the Event official website: hkformulae.com