Canal Road, Hong Kong
Yue Chinese) | |
Location | Bowrington, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong |
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Canal Road East (Chinese: 堅拿道東), Canal Road West (堅拿道西) and the Canal Road Flyover (堅拿道天橋) are important roads in the Wan Chai District of Hong Kong Island, between the areas of East Point near Causeway Bay, and Morrison Hill near Wan Chai.
History
Before urban development, the area was the estuary of the
The original wooden bridge was replaced by an iron one that opened in March 1892.[1] During the reclamation from 1922 to 1929 that created modern Wan Chai (the Praya East Reclamation Scheme) a wider bridge (100 foot width) was built with a double line of tram tracks.[2]
The canal was covered and made subterranean in the 1970s when the Canal Road Flyover was built. However, the name survives for the area.
Canal Road Flyover
Peter Hines[4] was the Resident Civil Engineer for the building of Happy Valley's multiple-curves, 4-lane-wide, 40-span-long viaduct, and roads – and responsible for the opening in late 1980. He had warned that the wide, sloping roads would flood rain into the Happy Valley Racecourse and harbour tunnel, requiring flood tanks hidden under the racecourse.[5]
The flyover was expanded again and an exit connected to Canal Road East.[when?]
The flyovers currently connects Aberdeen Tunnel to the Cross-Harbour Tunnel. They are a very important thoroughfare to conveniently reach Southern District and Happy Valley. From the Wan Chai Interchange, they pass (in order): Gloucester Road, Jaffe Road, Lockhart Road, Hennessy Road, Times Square, Sharp Street , Leighton Road, Queen's Road East, the Racing Museum and Wong Nai Chung Road.
The area under this flyover was once visited by the second installment of Canadian television reality competition series, The Amazing Race Canada, where the U-Turn of the third leg was located.
Villain hitting
The area under the Canal Road Flyover, adjacent to Hennessy Road, is known for the old ladies who offer villain hitting services, in which personal enemies are cursed by beating pieces of paper representing them. The practice is especially popular during king chat (ging jat) (typically in March).
See also
References
- ^ Public Works Report for 1892
- ^ Praya East Reclamation Scheme - Final Report
- user-generated source]
- Daily Telegraph
- ISBN 978-1-71-456394-4page 15.
External links
Preceded by Aberdeen Tunnel |
Hong Kong Route 1 Canal Road Flyover |
Succeeded by Cross-Harbour Tunnel |