Construction is a part of daily life in any city around the world. Sometimes the headache and hassle created by the interruption is worth it – the patient are rewarded with a new public space they can enjoy or benefit from the beautifying of a previously wasted space. But too often construction is a seemingly endless eyesore, and the final results are underwhelming.

Hong Kong is certainly no stranger to construction, and TST gets more than its fair share. When walking along Salisbury Road between Canton Road and Nathan Road pedestrians are faced with a constant barrage of roadwork, blocked sidewalks, and construction barriers under the control of the MTR Corporation. Most have been there in some form or another for years.

One of the projects currently underway is the Kowloon Southern Link, which will connect Nam Cheong Station and East Tsim Sha Tsui Station. The KSL will help to streamline travel for passengers between the Northwest New Territories and Tsim Sha Tsui. Construction started in August 2005 and the MTR Corporation says the KSL is scheduled to open in the second half of 2009. A second project is the Middle Road Subway Extension. MTR say the extended subway will ease foot traffic in the area and will significantly enhance the connectivity between MTR stations and the Canton Road shopping area and Hong Kong Cultural Centre. This 240-metre, fully air-conditioned subway equipped with travellators should be a significant upgrade from the bleak and often water-logged subway currently in place. Construction began in 2007 and is targeted for completion in 2010.

These projects sound promising, but there is still cause to wonder if more could not have been done with the area, or if the projects could have at least been completed more efficiently so as to lessen the impact on the area. During a recent daytime visit, there was no work occurring, and all the machines were sitting dormant; notices stated that the construction was ‘temporarily suspended’.

For years now locals and visitors alike have been squeezed through an incredibly uncomfortable path of approach to some of the most popular tourist destinations in the territory. Constantly walking along makeshift sidewalks and next to construction barriers is not a pleasure for anyone, and also detracts from the area itself. In part of town so heavily laden with tourists and attractions, wouldn’t it be nice if it didn’t all look like perennial building site?

Laura Sennett

Read the features:
Establish an art cinema on Hong Kong Island
Host mega-gigs at Hong Kong Stadium
Put a rooftop garden on top of the Museum of Art
Parks that are more fun than restrictive
Finish the TST construction works
Relax noise ordinances in bar areas
Build a super club
Ban evening traffic from Lan Kwai Fong