A new road linking Kowloon East and West will open next Sunday, cutting travel between Kowloon Bay and Yau Ma Tei from 30 minutes to just five minutes.

Transport officials say the 4.7‑kilometre Central Kowloon Bypass (Yau Ma Tei Section), including a 3.9-kilometre tunnel, will ease congestion and speed up trips for drivers and buses.

Highways Department senior engineer Xavier Yam said construction was challenging in crowded urban areas and near sensitive sites such as Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where tunnel blasting was strictly limited to 15 minutes per day to control noise and vibration.

He added the tunnel’s ventilation system is designed to keep the air clean.

“There are 44 jet fans inside the tunnel to blow suspended particles and dust towards the its entrance and exit, where another system filters the air before it is discharged,” he said.

The project is in its final checks, including tunnel operator system tests and on-site inspections.