Central–Wan Chai Bypass

The project, originally estimated to cost HK$28 billion, was approved by the Legislative Council finance committee in 2009, following a "decade of objections and legal challenges" from environmentalists and citizens concerned by further reclamation of Victoria Harbour. The government bureau blamed unforeseen geotechnical difficulties as well as fluctuating labour and materials costs for the 28 per cent budget increase. The first phase of the project opened on 20 January 2019 with the entire project becoming operational on 24 February that year. ==Alignment==

The bypass starts from Rumsey Street Flyover at Sheung Wan. It enters a tunnel outside the International Finance Centre in Central, then heads east past the Tamar site in Admiralty with an interchange at Wan Chai. It continues to head east under the proposed reclamation areas of Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Tin Hau. The original design to have the bypass via Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter leave the tunnel and connect with Island Eastern Corridor at Fortress Hill ==Tunnel ventilation==

Ventilation is an indispensable part for the operation of the tunnel as it will supply fresh air to maintain good air-quality environment to the commuters inside the tunnel while discharge vitiated air in a controlled manner at pre-determined suitable locations of exhaust. The tunnel ventilation system is also required to remove smoke in case of tunnel fire incidents. It is proposed to have three ventilation buildings sited near the western end, mid-length and eastern end of the Bypass to achieve the three objectives of supplying fresh air, extracting vitiated air and removing smoke during fire. To achieve an energy efficient ventilation system by shortening the air extraction path, the location of proposed East Ventilation Building (EVB) needs to be as close to the tunnel portal as possible. ==Gallery==

File:Central and Wan Chai Reclamation Overview 201007.jpg|Construction site in 2010, looking west from Wan Chai. File:Central-Wan Chai Bypass (1).JPG|Construction site in 2011, looking east from the footbridge outside IFC. File:Central–Wan Chai Bypass construction Admiralty section.JPG|Admiralty section construction site. File:Central–Wan Chai Bypass construction Central section.JPG|Central section construction site. File:Central–Wan Chai Bypass construction Causeway Bay section.JPG|Causeway Bay section construction site. File:Semi-submersible ship used to install large large precast unit for Central–Wan Chai Bypass construction.JPG|Semi-submersible ship used to install large precast unit. File:Heavy crane ship use by Central–Wan Chai Bypass construction.JPG|Heavy crane ship use in the construction. File:Central-Wan Chai Bypass Construction.jpg|Construction works, as seen from Fleming Road in 2017. ==See also==