The Central Kowloon Bypass (CKB) – Yau Ma Tei Section represents one of Hong Kong’s most significant recent investments in strategic road infrastructure, designed to relieve chronic congestion across the Kowloon peninsula and provide a high‑capacity east–west traffic corridor. With its commissioning on 21 December 2025, the project marks a major milestone in the multi‑phase delivery of the full Central Kowloon Bypass system.

Planning and Design Overview
The Yau Ma Tei Section forms the western portion of the CKB, connecting the Yau Ma Tei Interchange in West Kowloon to the Kai Tak Interchange in East Kowloon. Key design features include:

Total length
4.7 km, of which 3.9 km is a dual three‑lane tunnel.

Strategic function
Provide a high‑speed, signal‑free trunk route between West Kowloon Highway and Kowloon Bay, bypassing congested surface roads such as Gascoigne Road Flyover and Lung Cheung Road.

Access design
Seven entrances/exits at the Yau Ma Tei end and eight at the Kai Tak end, enabling direct connectivity to Western Harbour Crossing, Tai Kok Tsui, Kai Tak, Kowloon Bay, Kwun Tong, and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

Traffic performance objective
Reduce peak‑hour travel time between Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Bay from ~30 minutes to ~5 minutes.



Construction Progress and Challenges
Construction of the Yau Ma Tei Section continued through the COVID‑19 pandemic, with the government highlighting the project team’s ability to maintain progress despite labour, logistics, and supply‑chain constraints. Key construction characteristics include:

Complex urban tunnelling
Excavation and structural works beneath heavily built‑up districts required careful staging, ground treatment, and traffic management.

Interchange reconstruction
Significant reconfiguration of the Yau Ma Tei Interchange and associated flyovers to integrate the new bypass.

Systems installation
Ventilation, fire safety, traffic control, and signage systems were installed and tested in phases leading up to commissioning.

Commissioning and Operational Status
The Yau Ma Tei Section opened toll‑free on 21 December 2025, with tolling to begin only when the full CKB—including the Kowloon Bay Section—is commissioned in 2026.

Construction Cost and Programme
The Central Kowloon Bypass as a whole has historically been budgeted at HK$42.2 billion (2017 prices) in earlier government submissions. The Yau Ma Tei Section forms a major portion of this investment, given its extensive tunnelling and interchange works.

Construction period
Approximately mid‑2017 to late‑2025 for the Yau Ma Tei Section (8+ years)

Commissioning
21 December 2025

Full CKB opening
Expected in 2026, when the Kowloon Bay Section is completed and tolling begins

 (Reported by Building.hk)

(HKSARG)