Traffic halted in HK bridge due to demonstration

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-08 12:47

HONG KONG -- An unidentified foreigner climbed up the Tsing Ma Bridge and hung up two political banners Friday morning in Hong Kong, forcing the traffic on the upper deck of the bridge linking downtown with the airport to close temporarily.

A man wearing mask climbed up the landmark Tsing Ma Bridge at about 8: 00 Friday (0000 GMT) and hung up two political banners asking for "human rights", "democracy" and "freedom" for the " Chinese people," causing serious traffic jam on the upper bridge.

Fire fighters rushed to the scene and opened an air cushion on the ground after closing the traffic on the upper bridge in case of accident.

Traffic on the bridge was brought to a halt because of traffic jam caused by the banners and the traffic authorities had to close the upper bridge but the lower deck of the bridge remained open.

A spokesman for the transport department said the department had launched contingency traffic coordination center and called on citizens to use the express train to go to the airport.

Traffic was gradually resuming at around 10:30 (0230 GMT).

As the world's seventh-longest span suspension bridge, Tsing Ma Bridge is a landmark for Hong Kong with two decks and carries both road and rail traffic, which also makes it the largest suspension bridge of this type.

The 41 meter-wide bridge deck carries six lanes of automobile traffic, with three lanes in each direction. The lower level contains two rail tracks. There are also two sheltered carriage ways on the lower deck for maintenance access and as backup for traffic when particularly severe typhoons strike Hong Kong. Though road traffic would need to be closed in that case, trains could still get through in either direction.