design ate ▁T ung ▁Che e - h wa ▁decl ined ▁to ▁attend ▁as ▁he ▁said ▁he ▁would ▁rather ▁meet ▁with ▁officials ▁in ▁Gu ang d ong . ▁ ▁The ▁opening ▁ceremony ▁was ▁highly ▁anticip ated ▁and ▁attract ed ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁spect ators , ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁standing ▁along ▁Castle ▁Pe ak ▁Road , ▁which ▁was ▁closed ▁to ▁road ▁traffic . ▁The ▁T uen ▁Mun ▁Road ▁was ▁also ▁closed ▁to ▁traffic ▁from ▁ 7 : 4 0 ▁to ▁ 8 : 2 0 ▁pm , ▁and ▁a ▁ 2 0 - min ute ▁fire works ▁display , ▁cost ing ▁H K $ 5 ▁million , ▁began ▁at ▁ 8 ▁pm . ▁M TR , ▁City bus , ▁and ▁K CR ▁Corporation ▁arranged ▁special ▁transport ▁services ▁for ▁the ▁event . ▁More ▁than ▁ 2 , 3 0 0 ▁police ▁officers ▁were ▁deployed , ▁and ▁the ▁crowd ▁control ▁exercise ▁was ▁studied ▁by ▁the ▁police ▁for ▁its ▁relev ance ▁to ▁the ▁up coming ▁Hand over ▁ceremony . ▁Three ▁bo ating ▁acc idents ▁occurred ▁during ▁the ▁bridge ▁inaug uration . ▁ ▁The ▁L ant au ▁Link ▁was ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁at ▁ 8 : 0 0 ▁am . ▁C ars ▁que ued ▁for ▁four ▁hours ▁before ▁police ▁opened ▁the ▁bridge . ▁Sn aking ▁que ues ▁also ▁formed ▁at ▁bus ▁stations ▁at ▁ 7 : 0 0 ▁am ▁as ▁passengers ▁sought ▁to ▁view ▁the ▁new ▁infrastr ucture ▁as ▁well ▁as