Hong Kong authorities say 80 slopes on remote road to Shek O must be checked, fixed
- Civil Engineering and Development Department says first phase of works to start in 2027, but residents urge authorities to speed up timeline
The only road ensuring access to a remote village on Hong Kong Island has 80 slopes in need of investigation and fixing, government engineers have said after massive landslides forced the road to close last year.
Authorities said the first phase of construction works was set to start in 2027 and would take 4½ years to complete, prompting Shek O residents to urge officials to speed up the process.
The Civil Engineering and Development Department submitted a paper to the Southern District Council on Wednesday that said there were about 160 slopes along Shek O Road, which was constructed in the 1920s.
About 80 of the slopes would require investigating before engineers moved onto consolidation works, with 30 of them listed as priorities, it wrote.
“To ensure the safety of road users and the need to minimise the inconvenience caused to residents’ daily travel, the slope project will need to be carried out in phases,” the department said, adding temporary traffic control measures would be put in place.
The department said investigation works for the first batch of 17 slopes would begin later this year or early 2025, before construction started in the second half of 2027.
