It shortens the travel time between Wong Chuk Hang and Causeway Bay of the Hong Kong Island.

[3][4][5] Support for the tunnel grew following the closure of the Wong Nai Chung Gap by landslides.

[7] Official approval for the full project, comprising the tunnel and the Canal Road flyover extension, was granted in late 1975.

The discount scheme was branded as "New Bus-Bus Interchange Scheme - smart connection for Southern District" (香隧瑪麗轉一轉 省時便捷任你選; hoeng1 seoi6 maa5 lai6 zyun2 jat1 zyun2 saang2 si4 bin6 zit6 jam6 nei5 syun2; 'Aberdeen Tunnel Queen Mary Hospital') transfer buses - time saving and convenient for you to choose).

The South Island line, a new Mass Transit Railway (MTR) link that opened in December 2016, roughly parallels the Aberdeen Tunnel.

Upon commissioning, it was expected that 7% of peak hour Aberdeen Tunnel traffic would divert to the new railway.