Longest Escalator in the World! Start to Finish, come walk with me, let’s go!

The Central–Mid-Levels escalator and walkway system in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The system covers over 800 m (2,600 ft) in distance and traverses an elevation of over 135 m (443 ft) from bottom to top. It opened in 1993 to provide an improved link between the Central and Mid-Levels districts on Hong Kong Island.

The top stage of the escalator system between Robinson Road and Conduit Road has been replaced, and went operational on 11 July 2018. In early 2019, three refurbished escalators between Mosque Street and Robinson Road went operational. In June 2019, two replaced escalators between Caine Road and Elgin Street opened to the public. The escalator between Gage Street and Wellington Street is currently under refurbishment.

Apart from serving as a mode of transportation, the system is also a tourist attraction and is lined with restaurants, bars, and shops.

Origins
The project was first publicly mooted in the early 1980s. The government found that much of the east-west traffic in the area arose from north-south travel demand, as the steep topography did not allow for major roads to be built straight up the hill. There was talk of linking Central and Mid-Levels with escalators, a monorail, or a cable-car system.

In late 1982, private consultants Peter Y.S. Pun and Associates and MVA Asia were commissioned to investigate traffic improvement measures in Central In their report entitled A Study of the Transport Requirements of the Mid-Levels and Central District, the consultant recommended, inter alia, to build an "escalator assisted pedestrian route" linking Mid-Levels to the existing Central Elevated Walkway system and a new bus terminus that they proposed should be built on the site of the Central Market. This proposal was well-received by Mid-Levels residents.

Route
The escalators exist because Hong Kong Island is dominated by steep, hilly terrain, which makes it the home of several unusual methods of transport up and down the slopes. The Central–Mid-Levels escalator was featured on the CNN website as one of the "coolest commutes" in the world in March 2015.

It links Queen's Road Central in Central with Conduit Road in the Mid-Levels, travelling primarily up Cochrane Street and Shelley Street.[6] At Queen's Road Central, the Central–Mid-Levels escalators system is connected through Central Market to the Central Elevated Walkway, an extensive footbridge network covering the Central area.

The escalator system is 800 m (2,600 ft) long with a vertical climb of 135 m (443 ft).[6] The total travel time is twenty minutes, but many people walk while the escalator moves to shorten their trip. Due to the geographical situation, the same distance is equivalent to several miles of zigzagging roads if travelling by car. According to Guinness World Records, these escalators together form the longest outdoor covered escalator system.

Design
The system includes 18 escalators and three inclined moving walkways.[16] Due to the complex terrain, parts of the system run on elevated concrete structures, while other sections sit at ground level.

The moving walkways have a tread width of one metre, allowing faster pedestrians to pass slower users. In line with Hong Kong escalator etiquette, slower or idle users generally keep to the right. The three walkways have inclines of 8.1°, 11.9° and 11.7°. Eleven of the escalators have a typical 30° incline, while the remaining seven have a non-standard 17.5° incline.

All the walkways (except for at-grade road crossings) are covered to protect users from the rain, although the sides are open to the elements. The roofing structure was designed to be visually attractive, and incorporates translucent polycarbonate to allow sunlight to illuminate the walkways.

Bisecting streets

Junction of Cochrane Street and Stanley Street at night
The system runs through the whole length of Cochrane Street (named for Rear Admiral Thomas Alexander Cochrane)[22] between Queen's Road Central and Hollywood Road. Then it runs along the entire length of a ladder street, Shelley Street.

The whole system bisects the following streets / roads:

Queen Victoria Street (域多利皇后街)
Des Voeux Road Central (德輔道中)
Queen's Road Central (皇后大道中)
Stanley Street (士丹利街)
Wellington Street (威靈頓街)
Gage Street (結志街)
Lyndhurst Terrace (擺花街)
Old Bailey Street (奧卑利街)
Hollywood Road (荷里活道)
Staunton Street (士丹頓街) – SoHo area
Elgin Street (伊利近街)
Caine Road (堅道)
Mosque Street (摩羅廟街)
Mosque Junction (摩羅廟交加街)
Robinson Road (羅便臣道)
Conduit Road (干德道)

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