Central-Mid-Levels escalators
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The Central-Mid-levels escalators (Traditional Chinese: }) in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world.
The whole system is 800 m long, and the vertical climb is 135 m. Total travel time is twenty minutes, but most people walk while the system moves to shorten the travel time. Due to its vertical climb, the same distance is equivalent to several miles of zigzagging roads if travelled by car. It consists of twenty escalators and three moving sidewalks. Daily traffic exceeds 45,000 people. It has been operating since 1993. It cost HK$240 million (US$30 million) to build.
It was officially opened to the public on 15 October 1994. It plays a very important role in transport in Hong Kong since it links Des Voeux Road in Central with Conduit Road in the Mid-levels, passing through narrow streets.
The escalator runs downhill from 6:00am to 10:00am and uphill from 10:30am to midnight every day. Apart from its significance in transport it is also a tourist attraction, with many restaurants, bars, and shops lining its route. There is an entrance and exit on each road it passes. Using it is free of charge.
It is managed by the Guardian Property Management Limited.
Hong Kong Island is dominated by steep, hilly terrain, which makes it the home of some rather unusual methods of transport up and down the slopes.
Reshaping of landscape
After its completion, the escalator system collects pedestrian in the nearby area and the flux of pedestrians go to the elevated level instead of the street level. Many restaurants are opened on the first or second floor of the buildings beside, parallel to the elevated level.See also
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