# Tai Lam Tunnel

Tai Lam Tunnel (Chinese: 大欖隧道) is a tunnel in Hong Kong that forms part of the Tsing Long Highway of Route 3. It links Pat Heung and Ting Kau in the western New Territories.
The tunnel was constructed to ease traffic congestion on the Tuen Mun Road, in Tate's Cairn Tunnel, and on Castle Peak Road. It also links traffic directly from New Territories West to urban areas of Kowloon West and Hong Kong Island, as well as Hong Kong International Airport and the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals.

## Toll area

The Tai Lam Tunnel is a 3.8 km (2.4 mi) dual 3-lane tunnel. The total length of the R3CPS (the tolled area) is 10.1 km (6.3 mi).
The tolled area, with two entrances/exits at the south end, Ting Kau Bridge and Tuen Mun Road at Ting Kau, crosses Tai Lam Country Park to its north end at Pat Heung.
Located at Pat Heung and about 1 km (0.62 mi) from the north tunnel portal, the toll plaza consists of 22 tollbooths, 16 of which are for manual tolls and 6 are Autotoll lanes.

## Construction and operation

Tai Lam Tunnel is a Build-Operate-Transfer (B.O.T) project with a franchise period of 30 years (including the construction period). Its total construction cost was HK$7.25 billion. Construction on the tunnel started on 13 March 1995 and was officially opened to traffic on 25 May 1998 to match the opening of the new Hong Kong International Airport.
The designed traffic capacity of Tai Lam Tunnel is 140,000 vehicles per day. In 2011/2012, the average daily traffic was over 54,000 vehicles.
According to the Transport Department of the Government of Hong Kong statistics, Tai Lam Tunnel has higher-than-average safety records. In 2011, the accident rate per million vehicle km was just 0.07.

## Tunnel tolls

The tunnel has a reputation for high tolls, similar to the Western Harbour Crossing. The toll for private cars is HK$55, making it the second most expensive tunnel in Hong Kong (the most expensive being the Western Harbour Crossing at HK$60). For coaches, it is the highest in the city, about 4 times higher than the longer Tate's Cairn Tunnel.
As of January 2025, the Hong Kong Transport and Logistics Bureau has suggested time-varying toll fees for the funnel.
| Category | Vehicle | Standard toll (HK$) | Standard toll ($USD) as of 2025 | Concessionary toll (current) |
| 1 | Motorcycle | 60 | $7.71 | 22 |
| 2 | Private car | 65 | $8.35 | 48 |
| 2 | Taxi | 65 | $8.35 | 48 |
| 3 | Private light bus | 180 | $23.14 | 100 |
| 4 | Light goods vehicle (less than 5.5 tonnes) | 180 | $23.14 | 49 |
| 5 | Medium goods vehicle (5.5 to 24 tonnes) | 190 | $24.42 | 55 |
| 6 | Heavy goods vehicle (more than 24 tonnes) | 210 | $26.99 | 60 |
| 7 | Single-decker bus | 180 | $23.14 | 143 |
| 8 | Double-decker bus | 195 | $25.06 | 168 |
| | Additional axle | 70 | $8.99 | Free |

## Environmental protection and sustainable measures

The tunnel company performed compensatory tree planting at a rate of three replacement saplings for each tree felled. In total, 250,000 trees, 150,000 shrubs, and 60,000 climbing plants were planted during the construction period.
As for the conservation of wildlife, there is a small tunnel constructed at the south portal of Tai Lam Tunnel which is intended to alleviate the tunnel's impact on wildlife.
To keep pace with technology development, Tai Lam Tunnel has gradually replaced traditional light bulbs with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The indicator lighting signals inside the tunnel tubes and at the toll plaza, as well as the lighting system in the administration building, have been replaced to reduce carbon emissions.