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| View from East Coast Park Precinct |
Starting today (Jan. 25), one can walk the northern coast of
Hong Kong island facing the scenic Victoria Harbor, through an 11-kilometer walkway
that spans from Kennedy Town to North Point.
This is made possible by the formal opening today of the
western section of the East Coast Boardwalk underneath the Island Eastern
Corridor (IEC) in North Point. The western section was inaugurated in
ceremonies last Jan. 23.
It completes the boardwalk that connects the East Coast Park
Precinct (ECP, otherwise known to Filipinos as Little Dubai because of the MTR ventilation
shaft that juts out at its end) and the North Point Promenade (NPP).
Today’s opening follows the inauguration of the Boardwalk’s western
section last Jan. 23.
Present in those ceremonies were acting Financial Secretary Michael
Wong, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn, Harbourfront Commission Chairman
Ivan Ho; Civil Engineering and Development Director Michael Fong; the project panager
(South) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department, Victor Chan; and
the District Officer (Eastern), Simon Chan/
Wong said the Boardwalk is a signature harborfront
enhancement project of the Government and is expected to become a new landmark
for the public and visitors to enjoy a variety of activities and appreciate Victoria
Harbor.
Ho said construction of the Boardwalk was not a simple
process but a success of concerted discussions among the government, the HC and
the public over a decade, balancing the views expressed by sectors of the
community.
He described it as the final piece of the puzzle to link up
the harborfront on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island and provides more
possibilities for harborfront development in future.
Fong said that to overcome technical difficulties such as
height restrictions, narrow waterways, and lack of land access, the engineering
team introduced a number of innovative elements to construct the Boardwalk,
including adopting prefabricated boardwalk decks, thereby reducing the
construction period and costs, and effectively enhancing construction safety.
The Boardwalk will be a “harborfront shared space”, with a
shared path where the public may carry out various activities such as walking,
jogging and cycling. In addition, an exclusive pedestrian walkway is available
side-by-side to provide an additional option for pedestrians.
Another feature of the Boardwalk is the movable bascule
bridge and the movable swing bridge, introduced for the first time in Victoria
Harbour. These bridges allow vessels to access the coastal waters bounded by
the Boardwalk when necessary, maintaining accessibility of the Boardwalk while
accommodating operational needs.
Other facilities along the Boardwalk include cascade seating
for watching the sunset, a play area, fitness equipment, and a fishing
platform. The Tong Shui Road Public Pier has also been preserved and revitalized,
while the NPP has been enhanced to include more open areas and leisure
facilities.
The western section of the East Coast Boardwalk will open 24
hours a day, except for the movable swing bridge, which will open from 6am to
11pm.
The three access points to the western section of the
Boardwalk are through Tong Shui Road (about a 3-minute walk from Exit A1 of
North Point MTR Station), through Provident Garden and the movable swing bridge
and through the Watson Road entrance to the ECP and the passageway (about a
15-minute walk from Exit A of Fortress Hill MTR Station).
