History of Clear water Bay Rd | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

History of Clear water Bay Rd

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Submitted by Anthony Charter on Thu, 2011-09-29 14:18

Could anybody tell me when the original Clearwater Bay Rd was built?

I am under the impression it was well before the war and was a military road along which there were various amunition depots. It must have gone then to the end of the peninsular as the Seventh Day Adventist college ( Sam Yuk Middle School) bought 40 acres of land at their  current site in 1937.

I remember Hiram's Highway being a single track road in the 1960s and when taken for an excursion to Sai Kung from the island by my parents, we would have to wait 20 minutes for the Hiram's highway traffic lights to change if one was unlucky.

 

Anthony

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Submitted by David on Thu, 2011-09-29 18:11.

I searched for clearwater on the HKGRO website, and it returned five matching documents. I haven't read through them, but they'd be worth a look.

Please let us know if you're able to narrow it down.

Regards, David

Submitted by moddsey on Thu, 2011-09-29 23:56.

The search for Sai Kung Road in the HKGRO website  will provide more information.

I believe there had been a path from Customs Pass (where an old Customs Station used to be located) to British Kowloon prior to 1898. 

Sai Kung Road in today's urban Kowloon commenced during the 1920s near the Kowloon City Roundabout when the Kai Tack Bund and Reclamation Scheme were being constructed.

If one were to look at a 1936 Map of Hong Kong available through the HKPL (Public Library) webiste, the roads to Sai Kung Village and eastwards to Lung Ha Wan following the old Clearwater Bay Road were already well developed.

Submitted by Rob on Sun, 2011-10-02 18:53.

In a report on Roads, WO106/2363 dated 1938, it notes the road from Customs Pass to Razor Hill was complete, Razor Hill to High Junk Battery (now Clearwater Bay Park), formation complete June 38, surfacing complete.

This is obviously only the completion of the military works. There may well have been some sort of path previously.

Submitted by lolau on Mon, 2011-10-03 12:04.

A map on naming of Clear Water Bay Road in 1980 could be fond from this link:

http://hkclweb.hkpl.gov.hk/hkclr2/igateway?svc=bsch&stype=itr&param=title&frm=1&to=1&ss=ContentMap&ctrlid=2025361&lang=cht

Submitted by lolau on Mon, 2011-10-03 18:38.

I'm confused a little bit. Is Customs Pass = Clear Water Bay Road?

How about the proposed road from Kowloon City to Sai Kung in the Legislative Council minutes of meeting P.27-29 refers to?

http://sunzi1.lib.hku.hk/hkgro/view/h1929/3109.pdf

Submitted by moddsey on Tue, 2011-10-04 02:24.

Geographically speaking, Customs Pass would be the top end of the current Old Clear Water Bay Road where it meets up with New Clear Water Bay Road and Hiram's Highway.

According to old Public Works Annual Reports there was a Customs Pass Road. I am not sure if this road was the road to Kowloon Peak (Fei Ngo Shan) or the upper stretch of the Old Clear Water Bay Road.

As to the naming of Clear Water Bay Road, I think this may have occurred in the 1950s.

 

 

 

Submitted by lolau on Tue, 2011-10-04 07:47.

So why there is a map I posted which is the naming of Clear Water Bay Road in 198O? Is it mean that more extention of this Road occur in late 1970's?

Submitted by moddsey on Thu, 2011-10-13 21:39.

From observations of addresses in the 1940s Jurors List, the road that passed through Customs Pass was indeed called Sai Kung Road.

Clear Water Bay Road has two sections - Old Clear Water Bay Road and New Clear Water Bay Road.

You may wish to refer to the Public Records Office for further information on the extension of the road in later years. I recall when looking at 1950s maps of Kai Tak the northern ring road of Kai Tak Airport was called the Clear Water Bay Road (today's Choi Hung Road).