Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Mega-Bridge Project [Archive] - Page 2

hkskyline

June 27th, 2009, 08:35 AM

港府：提升機場競爭優勢，將推動未來發展完成２０３０規劃大綱
2009年6月24日星期三 16:20

《經濟通通訊社２４日專訊》廣州白雲機場計劃增建跑道及發展空港綜合保稅區，以成為珠三角區內最大機場，有立法會議員提出本港航空運輸業應如何應對問題。

運輸及房屋局局長鄭汝樺以書面回覆時表示，面對鄰近地區激烈的競爭，香港需擴大貨源腹地及提升競爭優勢，積極改善和珠三角地區的交通聯繫，為香港國際機場開發新貨運源頭。

現時位於機場島的海運碼頭以２４小時運作，連接珠三角地區１７個港口。港珠澳大橋落成後，會以陸路連接香港至珠三角西岸各地，擴大香港貨源腹地。

機場設施建設方面，港府會繼續與機場管理局合作，推行香港機場飛行區中場範圍的發展計劃，以及完成機場２０３０規劃大綱研究，為機場處理貨運的長遠競爭力奠定基礎；並積極尋求擴大香港與民航夥伴的雙邊民航安排，支持民航業爭取空間發展更多市場產品，吸引貨流使用香港國際機場作為轉運樞紐。

在提高跑道升降量方面，民航處會繼續增聘人手、加強培訓，以及改善航空交通管理的程序和設施，有信心在目前兩條跑道的基礎上，將升降容量逐步增加至２０１５年每小時６８架次；但隨著珠三角地區空域使用及航空交通管理協調方面的進展，當局會在適當時候考慮能否進一步提升有關跑道升降量目標。

為長遠提高機場升降容量，機管局在去年８月，就興建第三條跑道之工程和環保方面展開可行性研究，料需約兩年時間完成。

nazrey

July 11th, 2009, 06:17 AM

Sunway building up to better year
By Sharen Kaur
Published: 2009/07/11

SUNWAY Holdings Bhd (http://www.sunway.com.my/) (4308), one of the country's busiest conglomerates, is optimistic of doing better this year given that its overseas operations are starting to reap profits while local businesses are improving.

Founder and chairman Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah said the group's core divisions of construction, building materials, and trading and manufacturing were growing concurrently and it was expecting higher net profit and revenue this year.

"We have invested in a lot of developments in Singapore and China over the last two and three years and are starting to see the money coming in. We hope to bring down our gearing to 0.5 time in two years, from 0.9 now," he said.

"Things have been flat in the first few months of 2009 in terms of property sales. But I think consumer confidence will come back by the fourth quarter. People with money will return and the situation will turn around.
Cheah added that the group will continue to sell non-core property assets to pare down debt.

Last year, it sold its 36 per cent stake in Sunway Infrastructure Bhd - the Kajang SILK Highway concession holder - which was the black sheep in its stable.

Sunway is selling the Sunway Hotel Hanoi in Vietnam for RM59.33 million to Sunway City Bhd. Some RM21 million will be used to reduce its debt.

"Of course we don't want to put on fire sales, but we are trying to sell some non-core assets to degear," Cheah said at the company's extraordinary general meeting in Bandar Sunway, Selangor, yesterday.

Sunway's net borrowings stood at RM669.1 million as at March 31 2009 against shareholders' fund of RM639.3 million, the bulk of which was to build up its overseas operations, Cheah said.

Sunway is supplying spun piles in China for the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. It is also involved in the production of machinery parts with South Korea's Daechang group.

In Singapore, Sunway has a few mixed development projects which are ongoing.

Cheah said that Sunway was looking to grow its current businesses, albeit cautiously, and did not rule out buying the local concrete plants, quarries and asphalt factories owned by HeidelbergCement AG.

It was reported that the debt-laden HeidelbergCement, a heavy building materials manufacturer based in Germany, was selling its assets for US$200 million to US$250 million (RM714 million to RM893 million) and that Sunway was keen to buy them.

"It's very difficult to comment at this point in time on whether we are interested to buy or not. We are not sure yet," Cheah said.

hkskyline

July 11th, 2009, 07:29 AM

Opinion : Reclamation for delta bridge
29 June 2009
South China Morning Post

I have some reservations on the size of the planned reclamation work off the northeastern end of Chek Lap Kok airport, even though this site is the best option out of several put forward.

The 130 hectares of reclaimed land is for the border checkpoint plus link roads at the end of the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge.

The suggestion of locating the checkpoint at the other end of Chek Lap Kok with the construction of a tunnel is much worse as the waters there are more ecologically sensitive.

If it was chosen, a larger area of reclaimed land would be needed for traffic and the project would be a billion-dollar replica of Aberdeen Tunnel. Extra safety provisions would have been necessary as well.

I am constantly worried about more reclamation, but it seems two lots of land along the bay were not being considered for the checkpoint, especially now that it was outside the flight path, less land would be used for a higher structure.

I agree that construction of the checkpoint along the Airport Channel should not be pursued further as the environmental risks to the coastline, the ocean and sea life are higher.

This brings us back to the first option. I would suggest that the Highways Department seriously consider reducing the proposed size of the checkpoint by installing some equipment on lower levels, and adopt technology and measures to minimise the space needed for coaches waiting to clear customs. Except essential amenities, no space should be reserved for commercial activities.

Separate areas designated for coaches carrying transit passengers would further reduce the size of the reclamation. The structure should be in harmony with the airport terminal with a more open roof design and plants.

The original design scope is not far from our professional views and, with further enhancement, I am confident members of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and the public would support the administration.

I wonder what has made the government so indecisive; it should get its act together.

Peter Y. Wong, president, Hong Kong Institution of Engineers

natarajan1986

July 11th, 2009, 06:24 PM

EricIsHim

July 11th, 2009, 06:50 PM

why it is not visible,it is like many boxes

because the article is in traditional chinese, and you probably don't have the correct language coding set with your browser.

EricIsHim

July 15th, 2009, 02:47 AM

Bridge landing point move sought

Adele Wong

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Green activists and Tung Chung residents want the landing point of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge pushed further north from the proposed artificial island near the airport.

They also dispute the government's claim that such a move would cost an extra HK$13 billion, saying it would be HK$3 billion at most.

The proposed 12.4 kilometer road that will link the 29-kilometer bridge through the airport to the border crossing facility should be moved further away from people's homes to minimize environmental and light pollution, the groups said yesterday.

"Our solution may cost a little bit more, but will be less damaging to the environment. What we want to see is that the impact [on the environment] minimized as much as possible," said Jeff Lam- yuet, a representative of Tung Chung North residents and online forum tungchungtown.com.

Designing Hong Kong founding member Paul Zimmerman said the estimate of HK$13 billion in extra costs for the alternative proposal was exaggerated, and that it should not be more than HK$2 billion to HK$3 billion over the current budget.

The groups want a stretch of the road linking the Hong Kong boundary through Chep Lap Kok airport to be moved northward, and the current location for a border crossing facility to be moved from the east to the western end. This would shorten the time needed for high-security measures to be installed near the border point, besides minimizing light and noise pollution from vehicles.

It would also salvage the natural shoreline along Chek Lap Kok island, Zimmerman said.

Islands district councillor Ophelia Lam Yau-han and representatives of the Tung Chung residents and environmental groups, including Designing Hong Kong, Tung Chung Sustainable Development Alliance, WWF, Green Lantau Association, Professional Commons, Clear the Air, Association for Geoconservation Hong Kong and Hong Kong Mountain Bike Association all support the alternative proposal.

AGHK convenor Julian Kwong Tse-hin said there are only two natural "red coast" shorelines made of sedimentary rocks to be found locally, and the hiking trails between Tung Chung and Tai O, near where the bridge will be built, is one of them.

Source: http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?we_cat=4&art_id=84824&sid=24564867&con_type=1&d_str=20090715&fc=4

tjbridge

July 15th, 2009, 08:04 AM

http://img.szhk.com/Image/2009/03/13/200903130839461311.jpg
http://www.heima7.com/uploads/allimg/090223/0911490.jpg

hkskyline

July 21st, 2009, 07:07 PM

Opinion : Road pricing should cover whole of city
21 July 2009
South China Morning Post

The environment minister has said that roadside air quality has not significantly improved ("No quick fixes for the problem of air quality", July 16). Edward Yau Tang-wah said without tackling other sources he will never be able to deliver satisfactory air quality.

He is shedding responsibility for dealing with roadside air pollution, which is an assault on people's health.

There are ways that he could deal with current and future polluters.

The cost of speeding up the replacement and upgrading of existing diesel engines in the buses, coaches and trucks on our roads has been identified by the government and by think tanks. All it takes is the political will to implement the measures.

As for future polluters, the central, Hong Kong and Macau governments are committed to a target of 50,000 vehicles [a day]crossing the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge.

This commitment is linked to the payback for the financiers of the bridge.

The political reality is that once the bridge is built - as with all other cross-border links - it will be unacceptable to have the Audit Commission report that the bridge is being underused and that our investments are underperforming.

This would embarrass its original proponents.

To achieve performance targets the governments will do what is needed and turn the tap by issuing sufficient cross-border licences for vehicles.

Where will all these vehicles go in Hong Kong? Dropping off passengers and belching fumes in crowded Mong Kok? Blocking Magazine Gap Road and Repulse Bay Beach Road to allow day trippers to take in the disappearing sights of Hong Kong?

We need electronic road pricing throughout Hong Kong, with charges subject to engine type, the number of wheel axles and the time of day and location. Moreover, we need transport interchanges which see people transfer from vehicles into environmentally-friendly transport.

When I asked Eva Cheng, our transport minister, some time ago she said that road pricing is only being studied for Central and that expanding this was not a transport but an environmental issue. She was smoothly passing the ball.

Now that the financing for the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge has been approved the environment minister and his colleagues owe Hong Kong people clear answers, not a confusing smokescreen about how complicated things are, because they are not. They are clear to see, if you want to.

Paul Zimmerman, founding member, Designing Hong Kong Limited

hkskyline

July 22nd, 2009, 04:26 AM

Government urged to rethink bridge route
15 July 2009
South China Morning Post

The government should seriously consider moving the border checkpoint of the proposed Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge from east of Chek Lap Kok airport to the western side to minimise its environmental impact, activists said.

An alliance of activists, including environmentalists and community groups, said yesterday that moving the bridge's border checkpoint would not only preserve a coastal protection area on the airport island, but could cut visual and noise disturbance for about 30,000 Tung Chung residents.

Their proposal would stop the link road, which is to connect the bridge to the border checkpoint, from passing through the sensitive reddish shoreline between the airport island and Lantau North.

However, that would mean the government would have to build a separate route north of the airport to link the road to a New Territories-bound bypass, which officials said would raise the cost by as much as HK$13 billion.

Alliance spokesman Paul Zimmerman said he believed that figure was an overestimation, as it included a tunnel option the alliance said was not needed.

The Highways Department said earlier that building a road on the north coast of the airport was not optimal, as the area was reserved for the airport's third runway, and a road parallel to the runway might confuse pilots during landing.

But Mr Zimmerman said many big roads were built around airports overseas.

The department said the government's suggested location for the border checkpoint was best, as it was farther away from the habitat of the white dolphins and close to the proposed Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Bypass, MTR stations, AsiaWorld-Expo and ferry services to the mainland.

Jeff Lam, representative of two big private estates in Tung Chung, said it was also very near - just one kilometre - to the Tung Chung town centre.

"Why should Tung Chung residents pay the economic and social costs?" he asked.

The alliance urged any opponents of the plan to submit objections before a public consultation ended on August 12.

hkskyline

July 22nd, 2009, 04:27 PM

港人珠海購平樓等通車博升值
26 June 2009
香港經濟日報

港珠澳大橋融資上取得突破，工程可望年內上馬。大橋落成後，來往港珠兩地只需半小時，使到珠海購房的港澳人流增加，亦可吸引更多港人到珠海旅遊消費，為珠海發展帶來新景象。

中原（中國）董事副總經理賴國強表示，港珠澳大橋興建計劃近日落實，促使在珠海尋找物業的投資客逐漸增多，主要來自外區的廣州、香港、澳門等。

樓價僅深圳1/3 車程只半小時

他指出，現時珠海的樓房買家主要是港澳人士，以投資為主，如購買小型住宅單位及工廠物業，然後出租；另一類買家是本地客，約佔40%，他們大多購房自用，主要購買市區多層住宅單位，如「華發•世紀城」。

珠三角城市中，珠海交通相對不方便，令當地樓價向來落後廣州和深圳。賴國強稱，目前珠海樓價是深圳的三分一；大橋通車後，料可將兩地樓價拉近至二分一，並將陸續有新盤在珠海推出。

港人愛美食溫泉住五星酒店

過去珠海樓市沒有大型基建帶動，令當地物業市場交投並不活躍。港珠澳大橋興建計劃推進，「珠海樓市短期內雖仍受大市波動，但長遠可增加投資者信心。」

樓市發展前景向好，賴預計，投資者將願意加大投資額及延長投資期，愈接近大橋落成時間，投資回報將愈高。

港澳人士既是珠海樓市的主要買家，亦是珠海旅遊消費市場的重要客源之一。

即使大橋未落成，珠海亦是近年港人短線遊熱點。中旅社旅行團業務部副總經理吳熹安表示，珠海客量佔廣東遊比重，近3年每年均有雙位增長︰「港人遊珠海，主要為食、住五星級酒店及浸溫泉。」

吳熹安提到，近年珠海新景點帶動客流，如早年的御溫泉外，2006年又有海洋園林溫泉啟用，中旅國際投資的海泉灣度假城首期亦於同年開業，吸引愛新鮮的港人。珠海酒店、飲食選擇多，吸引力可望較深圳景點持久。

「大橋落成後，可望吸引更多港人。」他提到，如交通更方便，可吸引港人隨時到珠海消費玩樂、住1晚再回港，與現時港人往深圳消費的模式相似。

珠海商機處處，中旅國際投資去年底公布，展開海泉灣二期旅遊項目工程，包括高爾夫球、別墅度假村等。

hkskyline

July 29th, 2009, 07:50 PM

gakei

August 14th, 2009, 12:01 PM

Environmental Impact Assessment Report

Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao Bridge Hong Kong Link Road (http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_1722009/Cover(all).htm)

Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao Bridge Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_1732009/Cover(all).htm)

hkskyline

August 16th, 2009, 06:36 AM

Work on link road to drive up dust levels
14 August 2009
SCMP

Construction of the link road for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge will generate dust and worsen air quality in Tuen Mun, rural Lantau and Tung Chung, according to the environmental-impact assessment.

During construction, annual concentrations of "total suspended particulates" - which range from coarse dust particles to finer ones that can be breathed in - will exceed the Environmental Protection Department standards by about 30 per cent in seven non-residential parts of Tuen Mun, including a public park at Butterfly Beach and a fire station.

When the link road opens, Tung Chung town and village houses about 100 metres south of the road will see higher annual concentrations of fine respiratory particles that are close to the limit.

Highways Department consultant Ove Arup & Partners said nitrogen dioxide and respirable suspended particulates in all parts of the project would meet government standards and no mitigation measures would be needed.

But air pollution researcher Chan Chak-keung of the University of Science and Technology said there was some doubt whether this would mean the air quality would be acceptable in future, given that the government was planning to tighten standards.

hkskyline

August 18th, 2009, 07:17 PM

Mud pits proposed near white dolphins
14 August 2009
SCMP

The government is having trouble finding ways to handle the huge amount of mud - equivalent to the size of 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools and partly contaminated - resulting from the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

Measures under consideration include dumping less contaminated mud in mainland waters and using the rest to reclaim land for the new link road and border facility connecting to the bridge.

The government also proposes forming new mud pits near Brothers Islands - home to about 30 to 40 Chinese white dolphins in summer and autumn - prompting calls for less reclamation to minimise dredging work.

A total of 172 hectares of land will be reclaimed for building the bridge's local section and ancillary facilities, comprising the 130-hectare border-crossing facility, 23 hectares for a road linking the facility and the bridge, and 19 hectares for a road linking Tuen Mun and Chek Lap Kok.

In an environmental impact assessment report released for public consultation today, the government's consultant said the dredging works involved in building sea walls and a tunnel section of the link road would generate more than 500,000 cubic metres of marine sediment.

Sediment assessment found heavy metal content, including silver and nickel, in some of the mud that exceeded government standards.

WWF senior conservation officer Alan Leung Sze-lun said the government had consulted his group on ways to manage the mud from the bridge project.

"Instead of disposing of the mud in questionable ways, we think the government should scale down the reclamation," Mr Leung said.

WWF proposed building the link road connecting the bridge and border-crossing facility in the form of a low viaduct to avoid reclamation.

Cheng Luk-ki of Green Power warned that a number of dolphins were found dead during the reclamation for the new airport more than 10 years ago.

To mitigate the impact, the government's consultant proposed setting up a marine park at Brothers Islands and said construction work should be stopped whenever dolphins were spotted within 250 metres of the construction site.

Dolphin Conservation Society chairman Samuel Hung Ka-yiu urged the government to monitor work in Zhuhai and the Pearl River Estuary, where 1,500 dolphins had been recorded. The marine park proposed at the Brothers should also be several times larger than the reclaimed border-crossing facility.

A Transport and Housing Bureau spokesman said the project's uncontaminated and less-contaminated mud would be disposed of in mainland waters. It was looking for a suitable disposal site, and approval from the State Oceanic Administration would be sought.

hkskyline

August 20th, 2009, 11:25 AM

Investors bet on future of Zhuhai
5 August 2009
SCMP

Shanghainese Vivian Guan and her husband travelled to Zhuhai in Guangdong on a sunny day two months ago - and shortly after became property owners in the city.

"We had no plan to buy any property before we travelled there. But after visiting my friend's place, we changed our mind," said Ms Guan.

"We like the development, we love the city environment and we are optimistic about the growth potential in the city."

The yoga teacher and her husband, who have been living in Hong Kong for three-and-a-half years, bought an 80 square metre unfinished flat in Huafa New Town, developed by the city's biggest developer, Huafa Industrial, for more than 8,000 yuan (HK$9,078) per square metre or less than 700,000 yuan.

"We plan to use it as a holiday home, and at the same time it can be a good investment," said Ms Guan.

This is their second mainland property; they bought their first in Ms Guan's hometown, Shanghai.

Ms Guan is an example of the Zhuhai property buyer who bets on the benefits likely to flow from closer economic ties in the Pearl River Delta region and further economic growth following the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

Construction of the bridge is expected to start by the end of this year or no later than next year.

On completion in 2016, it is expected to cut travelling time from Hong Kong to Macau or Zhuhai to about 30 minutes.

"Investors have started coming to the [Zhuhai] market in the past few months, betting on the future growth potential, " said Hermit Poon, a deputy general manager of Centaline China's Zhuhai branch.

A total of 1,655 uncompleted units changed hands in June, representing an increase of 43.6 per cent from May's 1,155 deals.

Purchases of secondary homes rose 9.6 per cent to 1,530 units, according to official figures. In the first half, there were 2,722 units on offer, of which 85 per cent were sold, according to website Soufun.com.cn.

The average selling price was 7,600 yuan per square metre.

Bolstered by the robust economy of Macau, Zhuhai's home prices surged a few years ago, but they slumped along with the nationwide correction last year.

The market started to pick up in the second quarter, with prices having risen more than 10 per cent so far, Mr Poon said.

Sales were active recently amid speculation that Zhuhai would strictly follow the rule on mortgage lending for second-home purchases, which require a minimum 40 per cent down payment on second homes.

"The most expensive properties in Zhuhai are located at the part of Lover's Road that is close to the Gongbei checkpoint," said Mr Poon.

Supply was limited, as there were rows of buildings already constructed along the road, a developer said.

One of the most expensive developments is Huafa Jade Peak, with units ranging in size from 299 to 334 square metres selling at an average of 25,000 yuan per square metre or at least 7.5 million yuan.

The development, located on the peak, captures a view of the South China Sea and the future Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

Aaron Fischer, the head of CLSA's Asian property and gaming research, is also optimistic about Zhuhai's outlook, as it will benefit from the huge infrastructure projects.

The growing city also attracts overseas investors, with Singapore-listed Yanlord Land Group now building its 4 billion yuan Zhuhai Marina Centre, an integrated residential-commercial development.

It is located adjacent to the Zhuhai-Macau immigration checkpoint at Gongbei.

Rreef, the real estate and infrastructure management arm of Deutsche Bank, has formed a joint venture to build a US$225 million residential project in the city.

However, Mr Poon said not too many Hongkongers were buying in Zhuhai.

He predicted they would come when construction of the bridge had started.

Mr Poon suggested potential buyers look at properties below 10,000 yuan per square metre, sized between 130 sq metres and 150 sq metres, adding that demand for this type of property was greater.

hkskyline

September 3rd, 2009, 05:05 AM

Opinion : Future generations will be saddled with consequences of absurd bridge
30 August 2009
SCMP

I fully endorse the comments made by Steve Farrer in his letter ("Coastal route for bridge may save money but end up costing HK", August 23).

However, there is one point that I disagree with. He states: "We would like the bridge to be a great success."

The Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge was a ludicrous proposal from the outset, and now it appears to be set in concrete through the machinations of an uncaring administration.

I fear that there is nothing we can do. However, it will cost Hong Kong not only wasted billions of dollars on construction and maintenance, but in terms of damage to the environment and local ecology.

It will be a complete disaster.

I regret, Mr Farrer, that this white elephant will never be a "great success" and future generations in Hong Kong will be saddled with the consequences.

Yes, Legco's Finance Committee should certainly take a long hard look at everything connected with this proposal.

Realistically though, in the face of the Hong Kong government's intransigence, I fear that we will be stuck with this bridge and highway, and I agree that every effort should be made by those who are concerned to reduce the impact of this disastrous undertaking.

However, they should go to the top. The director of lands can do nothing - the Town Planning Board is nothing but a rubber stamp body. So they must set their sights on the bureau chiefs.

Anyone concerned about the bridge should approach any allies they may have in the Executive Council or the Legislative Council, or just tackle their local or functional Legco representative.

The route suggested by the Tung Chung group, to the north of Chek Lap Kok island, is a workable alternative and even more preferable if the highway is submerged in a tunnel.

Act now though, or the pristine, peaceful northwest Lantau coastline will be a thing of the past, along with the pink dolphins.

Gordon Andreassend, Tai Kok Tsui

hkskyline

September 7th, 2009, 06:50 PM

Bridge over trade
28 July 2008
Journal of Commerce

One of the wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China, was built to keep invading hordes out. Two thousand years later, construction will begin on what might well qualify as a modern engineering wonder - a 22-mile bridge and tunnel complex linking Hong Kong with seaports across the Pearl River Delta.

The Zhuhai-Macau-Hong Kong Bridge is intended to boost the flow of trade and economic development into the region. It is a critical piece of a transportation infrastructure and logistics strategy designed to link the manufacturing centers of the western delta region with Hong Kong's financial, administrative and port logistics prowess.

The bridge has been an on-again-off-again proposal for the past 20 years. It is the brainchild of Hong Kong tycoon Gordon Ying Sheung Wu, chairman and managing director of Hopewell Holdings Ltd. and Hopewell Highway Infrastructure Ltd.

Wu, 72, has pushed since the 1980s for a modern transportation system to support China's manufacturers in the Pearl River Delta, which includes much of Guangdong province. The bridge is a centerpiece of his vision.

China's government endorsed the concept in 2003, but no firm financial plan for the estimated $4 billion to $6 billion project emerged until this year, when the three governments involved, the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau and the province of Guangdong, reached a financing agreement.

Under their arrangement, construction on the span will begin next year, with an estimated completion date of 2015. Hong Kong has agreed to pay 50.2 percent of the cost, while mainland China will take on 35.1 percent and Macau, 14.7 percent. Those percentages are based on the estimated benefits the bridge will bring to each jurisdiction. They will be responsible for construction and operation of boundary-crossing facilities and the connecting roads to the bridge within their territories.

Bids for the construction of the bridge are expected to be taken soon, with Wu's Hopewell firm likely to be a major participant. Hong Kong's China Communication Construction Co. and China Railway also are potential bidders.

The successful bidder will be granted a 50-year franchise to operate it as a toll bridge.

The Y-shaped bridge will span two man-made islands, allowing it to descend through an undersea tunnel to allow passage by ships. The concept is based on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in Virginia. The two bridge segments of the six-lane Zhuhai-Hong Kong bridge, at 18.2 miles, will be about one mile longer than the shore-to-shore length of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge; the tunnel will be more than 4 miles long. Two artificial islands measuring slightly more than a half-mile each also will be built to join the two ends of the tunnel with the bridge segments. The tunnel will be laid at about 70 feet below the surface.

The bridge will reduce transit times for freight and passenger traffic across the Pearl River's mouth to less than 30 minutes. It's currently a one-hour ferry trip or a three-hour drive north to a narrower crossing point and then south to the ports of Macau and Zhuhai.

The project has been controversial in Hong Kong because of Wu's involvement and the double-edged sword of increased industrial development and the resulting congestion and environmental consequences.

"It will ease traffic between Hong Kong and the rest of Guangdong province," Stephen Wong, regional director, Americas, for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, said at a recent seminar promoting trade between Hong Kong and Zhuhai.

Some take issue with that, however. "I'm concerned about this bridge; the scale of it concerns me," said Bill Barron of the Institute of Environment at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "The purpose is to open the western delta to additional economic development, but no one is taking responsibility for adding a greater level of industrial output and pollution in the delta. It will encourage further growth in motor vehicle use in the region, and that pollution eventually will rival the level of air pollution from industrial development."

Barron said the bridge will accomplish its purpose of having factories in the western delta area that are not more than three hours away. "Infrastructure is enabling, but I'd like to see more talk about development in which we look ahead and see exactly what will be enabled."

Another academic, Jonathan Solomon, assistant professor of architecture at Hong Kong University, said the bridge "will be a good thing if done correctly. It has the potential to better organize the development of the western Pearl River Delta." While it's important for the project to begin, Solomon said it will "create greater traffic and environmental problems for the region."

He said freight traffic should move with a freight rail link on the bridge to the Port of Hong Kong. That idea has been proposed, but has not gained much traction. Wu recently dismissed a rail component as too costly, so it likely will depend on who wins the construction bid.

There are plans to improve the roads to the port's Terminal 9 container terminal, on Tsing Yi Island. A new road infrastructure will form a network across the port and connect to major Hong Kong highways and, eventually, the bridge. Furthest along is the Hong Kong Link Road, which will connect the port and Hong Kong International Airport to the bridge.

For Hong Kong and its port, which slipped to third behind Singapore and Shanghai in world container volume last year, the bridge is both a symbolic and physical manifestation of efforts by the city and the port to regain pre-eminence through closer economic and trade integration with the rest of the Pearl River Delta region's ports and its population of about 60 million.

"Firming up trade and logistics alliances with Zhuhai and other western Pearl River Delta ports will enhance our trade model," Wong said.

Hong Kong's container volume during the first half of this year rose nearly 5 percent to 12.1 million TEUs, a sprightlier pace than last year's, but still lagging Singapore by a wide margin. Singapore reported an 11.5 percent increase in container traffic through June to 15.0 million TEUs.

Hong Kong is expected, however, to remain a key logistics hub. "We believe its gateway status is assured for many years to come," said a recent white paper from NYK Logistics Hong Kong. The report notes that China's Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement with Hong Kong "has opened up the mainland considerably for logistics companies."

The governments of Hong Kong and the mainland are investing in more infrastructure to improve connectivity of the city with the mainland - and the bridge is a good example of that, the NYK report said.

For Zhuhai, the importance of closer economic and logistics integration with Hong Kong is also high. It is trying to make its mark in the region as a relatively new city, established in 1979. It became a special economic zone the following year. Its population is now nearly 1.7 million, and it has the longest coastline within the Pearl River Delta. Its industrial output last year increased by 18.7 percent to $33.1 billion; main manufacturing industries include electronics, electric appliances, petrochemicals, electric machinery and bio-medicine.

"It's an attractive, competent, clean and young city," said Li Ying, deputy secretary-general of the Zhuhai Municipal People's Government.

She said the two cities will complement each other. In the western Pearl River Delta, "Zhuhai and other ports will be bases for logistics and export manufacturing; in the eastern delta, Hong Kong will be the high-end technology and financial and administrative services center," Li said.

For Zhuhai and other Pearl River Delta cities, including the port city of Shenzhen north of Hong Kong, and in the western Delta, manufacturing centers such as Foshan, Jiangmen and Zhongshan, "the overarching conclusion is that the economic interaction between Hong Kong, Macau and the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone makes it difficult to treat them as entirely separate economies," a recent report from Invest Hong Kong said.

The report, titled "the Greater Pearl River Delta," was written by Michael J. Enright and Edith E. Scott of Enright, Scott & Associates. "One must view the region as a whole if one is to understand its strengths and potential," the report said. "This is the emerging economic reality."

hkskyline

September 13th, 2009, 05:46 AM

In Brief
EXCERPT
11 September 2009
SCMP

A Tung Chung resident plans to launch a judicial review over the lack of a Chinese-language version of the environmental impact assessment report on the connecting roads and border crossing of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, the Civic Party says. The resident said the lack of a Chinese-language version deprived him of the chance to comment on the report's contents. A Highways Department spokesman said there was already a Chinese-language version of an executive summary of the report and the public was welcome to visit its office for an explanation of the report.

hkskyline

September 18th, 2009, 10:07 AM

Deal signed for the detailed design of the reclamation works of the Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao Bridge Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Government Press Release

The Highways Department and Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong Ltd signed an agreement for the detailed design of Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF) Reclamation Works today (September 17). This signifies that the Hong Kong project for HZMB has reached a new stage.

The HZMB is of particular strategic importance to the further economic development of Hong Kong, Macao and the Western Pearl River Delta region.

The HKBCF artificial island will have a reclaimed area of about 150 hectares to provide mainly for passenger clearance and cargo processing facilities, including 20 hectares of land required for Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link (TM-CLKL). Following the completion of the preliminary design, detailed design and ground investigation will successively commence.

Apart from HKBCF, projects related to the HZMB also include the Hong Kong Link Road connecting to the HZMB main bridge, the TM-CLKL and the Tuen Mun Western Bypass. These projects will enable the formation of a complete strategic road network linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai, Macao and Shenzhen, thereby further enhancing the transportation and aviation hub status of Hong Kong.

The HZMB HKBCF reclamation works are scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2010.

hkskyline

September 23rd, 2009, 10:39 AM

No park to protect dolphins before Delta bridge construction starts
22 September 2009
South China Morning Post

Highways officials in charge of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project have refused to set up a marine park near the Brothers Islands as a shelter for the endangered white dolphin before construction starts.

"If the park is designated first, we will not be able to carry out any construction at all," Cheng Ting-ning, project manager of the bridge's Hong Kong section, said yesterday.

The park has been proposed as compensation for the loss of the dolphins' habitat to the bridge and a 138-hectare reclamation east of Chek Lap Kok for the border control point.

Cheng was responding to suggestions from members of a subcommittee scrutinising the project's environmental impact reports that setting up the park could be speeded up or carried out in phases to give dolphins a haven during construction. He said the park could not be set up until the project was completed in 2016 and after proper consultation and he could not give a timetable.

The subcommittee, under the Advisory Council on the Environment, said it needed more information before deciding whether to endorse the impact reports on the crossing, link roads and a tunnel linking Tuen Mun and Chek Lap Kok.

Discussing the marine park - a haven for the estimated 1,500 dolphins in the Pearl River Estuary - council chairman Lam Kin-che asked officials if they had any contingency plan if the park plan was stalled.

"How can we be assured that we will have a marine park that could mitigate [the impact on the dolphins] eventually{hellip} In case we don't have it, or it is too small, is there a contingency plan?" he asked.

Cheng said dolphins disturbed by construction would usually come back after the work ended. He believed mitigation measures such as silt curtains to stop the spread of mud, exclusion zones and vessel speed controls would be enough.

Asked about the effect on air quality, officials and representatives of the project consultant, Arup, said the impact on the already smog-plagued town of Tung Chung would be insignificant because it was largely affected by regional emissions, power plants and the airport. But the consultants said they could not isolate the bridge's air pollution impact.

This attracted fierce criticism from Joseph Lee Hun-wei, a veteran engineering professor from the University of Hong Kong, who said: "You just can't say the bridge is not to be blamed and get away with it. This is unacceptable for an EIA."

hkth

October 13th, 2009, 01:29 AM

RTHK News:
Environmental green light for (Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Mega-)bridge (http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20091013/news_20091013_56_618801.htm)

hkskyline

October 14th, 2009, 03:53 AM

Shenzhen is granted jurisdiction over Inner Lingding Island
29 September 2009
South China Morning Post

Shenzhen, scared of being marginalised by the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, has been granted jurisdiction over an island that has been the subject of a tug-of-war between it and Zhuhai for 19 years, according to local media.

Inner Lingding Island, located on the eastern side of the Pearl River estuary between Hong Kong's Yuen Long and Shenzhen's Shekou, is currently home to a wildlife reserve but is rich in tourism potential.

Shenzhen and Zhuhai have been arguing for 19 years about who should have jurisdiction over the island - about a third the size of Lamma Island - but the Guangdong provincial government only made an administrative decision on Friday, the Southern Metropolis News reported yesterday.

The decision allows Shenzhen to plan and build a nine-kilometre bridge to the island from Shekou, which could then connect with the western delta area using the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge - a project that does not include Shenzhen.

Inner Lingding Island is a habitat for macaque monkeys. The provincial government established the nature reserve, covering the island and mangroves in Shenzhen's Futian district, in May 1988.

Although it is closer to the eastern shore of the Pearl River estuary, Zhuhai authorities claimed jurisdiction over Inner Lingding Island in the 1990s. Zhuhai, whose main administrative centre is 24 kilometres away on the western shore of the Pearl River, based its contention on an official document issued in 1952.

But Shenzhen rejected the claim, saying the central government had included the island in the city's special economic zone in 1979.

Guangdong authorities decided to let Zhuhai manage the island in 1992, citing "national defence reasons". But Shenzhen refused to accept the decision, and both cities set up police stations on the 4.8 square kilometre island.

The provincial government then ordered both cities to withdraw their officers and promised to look into their claims but never did, allowing the dispute to drag on. Meanwhile, the island lagged behind in economic development. In 1994, villagers on the island raised 13 million yuan to build a holiday resort, which was built but never opened for business.

A Shekou company once announced a plan to invest 30 million yuan to build a holiday park on the island, but Zhuhai officials refused to back down and the project stalled.

The nature reserve on the island is not open to the public, and there is no public transport to the island.

In the 19th century, Inner Lingding Island was an anchorage for European ships sailing to and from Guangzhou, where Chinese customs measured cargo and levied duties.

hkskyline

November 22nd, 2009, 05:07 PM

Low tolls to increase traffic on new span
25 April 2009
China Daily - Hong Kong Edition

HONG KONG: The government has sharply increased estimated traffic flows on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge by 40 percent. The higher traffic estimates are connected to the project's gaining a concessionary loan on favorable terms. At the time the terms were announced, officials said the highly favourable interest rate would be likely to lower previously estimated bridge tolls.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng said in a Legislative Council transport panel meeting Friday that the earlier estimates of bridge traffic now must be altered since lower tolls likely will generate more traffic. The agreement on the 22 billion yuan 35-year loan to build the bridge was reached earlier this month. The Bank of China will be the lead bank, forming a consortium to raise the capital, which will be loaned at an interest rate fixed to the People's Bank of China benchmark minus 10 percent.

With the concessionary interest rate, officials expected that the toll can be kept at the low-end. Private car drivers are expected to pay HK$100, and truck drivers about HK$200 to cross the bridge.

An assessment conducted by the China Highway Planning and Design Institute estimated that between 35,700 and 49,200 vehicles will use the bridge each day till 2035, and between 9,200 and 14,000 vehicles will use it till 2016.

Cheng also told the panel that the Hong Kong government and the mainland authority will study plans to issue temporary cross-border vehicle licenses by December. The Hong Kong - Shenzhen Western Corridor will be the pilot for the scheme.

Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong legislator Lau Kong-wah voiced concern that the scheme may not be well received by the local community.

"The public is worried about the environmental impact caused by more vehicles coming to Hong Kong and whether our road network can bear that," he said.

Scion

December 3rd, 2009, 10:33 AM

Construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will begin the end of December, the Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.

The project, which is a series of bridges, tunnels and roads that will rival the longest bridges in the world, is designed to more closely connect Hong Kong with Macao and the Mainland.

"The State Council has announced the approval of the 'research report of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge'. The project is under busy preparation and will start at the year end, and is slated to be finished in 2015," Cai Qiwen, a vice director of the transportation department of Guangdong province, was quoted as saying.

http://www.chinadaily.cn/china/2009-12/03/content_9110862.htm

Arul Murugan

December 14th, 2009, 10:27 AM

There was news in CCTV 9 yesterday that HK-Zhuhai bridge construction will start from today (14/12/2009).

timothy_tw

December 15th, 2009, 05:09 AM

The contrustion OFFICIALLY started this morning!!!!:cheers:

urbanfan89

December 15th, 2009, 11:15 PM

What a political white elephant.:ohno:

hkskyline

December 16th, 2009, 11:06 AM

World's longest sea bridge may boost S. China economy
15 December 2009

HONG KONG, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Construction of the world's longest sea bridge linking Hong Kong to China and Macau began on Tuesday, in a bid to bolster the integration and future growth of the Pearl River Delta, China's stricken economic powerhouse.

A manufacturing hub churning out almost a third of China's exports, the PRD has come under pressure to upgrade itself as an export and services hub after the financial crisis exposed shortcomings and low-end, labour intensive factories closed down.

With land in Guangdong, particularly the PRD, becoming increasingly scarce and costly, the 50-km (31-mile) bridge is expected to bring substantial economic benefits to Guangdong's relatively undeveloped western reaches. With 35 km to be built over water, it will be the world's longest sea bridge.

Expected to be completed in 2015/2016, the bridge will cost 73 billion yuan ($10.7 billion) though Hong Kong expects it to generate $HK45 billion ($5.8 billion) of economic benefits within 20 years of entering service.

In a blueprint for the region released in January, Beijing's top economic planning agency said the PRD, encompassing Hong Kong and the gaming centre of Macau, could become one of the world's leading economic hubs by 2020. But the study criticised its low overall level of competitiveness and innovation.

"Through a more convenient and fast transport network, Hong Kong's financial, tourism, trade and logistics and professional services can become better integrated with the Pearl River Delta and the surrounding areas," Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang, said at the ceremony launching the project.

Green groups like the World Wide Fund for Nature oppose the project on environmental grounds, saying construction could devastate marine ecosystems and endanger the rare Chinese white dolphin found in the estuarine waters of the Pearl River.

Officials, however, have pledged to protect ocean ecology and fishery resources.

"We will control the construction noises and turbidity of seawater, and prevent oil pollution," Xinhua news agency quoted Zhu Yongling, an official in charge of construction, as saying.

cmjohns6

December 17th, 2009, 07:43 AM

There was an article on yahoo news today about this bridge. check it out http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/15/worlds-longest-sea-bridge

marki

December 17th, 2009, 10:29 AM

^^

Its a good article and I like the map in the article (below). I like the bridge and its perhaps more economically viable, but the Taiwan Strait, Bo hai and Hainan bridges would perhaps be more useful since theres less alternative options.

China stretches the imagination with world's longest sea bridge
Tania Branigan in Beijing and Robert Booth, guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 December 2009 18.39 GMT
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/15/worlds-longest-sea-bridge

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/12/16/1260968766327/Hong-Kong-Macau-Zhuhai-br-001.jpg
Much of the bridge will be fabricated offsite and will be designed to withstand wind
speeds of up to 201kmph (125mph)

Barely 18-months after completing current record-holder, work begins on link between mainland, Macau and Hong Kong

China today announced it had begun construction of the world's longest sea bridge – barely 18 months after opening the current record-holder.

The Y-shaped link between Hong Kong, Macau and China will be around 50km (31 miles) long in total, 35km of which will span the sea, said the state news agency Xinhua. Due to be completed by 2015, the 73bn yuan (£6.75bn) cost of the bridge will be shared by the authorities in the three territories.

The structure also includes a 5.5km underwater tunnel with artificial islands to join it to bridges on each side. According to the engineering group Arup – which has helped with the design – it is the first major marine bridge-and-tunnel project in China. But the engineering firm described the structure as 38km in length; the reason for the disparity was unclear.

Work is expected to begin with land reclamation to create an artificial island of around 216 hectares (540 acres) off Zhuhai. This will become the customs point for those making the crossing.

But much of the structure will be prefabricated offsite, so, for example, the concrete deck sections can be produced at the same time as the foundations are laid. The tunnel will be made of precast sections – each 100 metres long.

"It is designed with a service life of 120 years. It can withstand the impact of a strong wind with a speed of 51 meters a second, or equal to a maximum Beaufort scale 16 (184 to 201kmph)," said Zhu Yongling, an official in charge of the project construction. "It can also resist the impact of a magnitude-8 earthquake and a 300,000-tonne vessel."

Six lanes of traffic will pass across the bridge at a maximum speed of 100kmph, cutting driving time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai from four hours to one.

The bridge was first proposed in 1983 as a way of fostering economic ties between China, Hong Kong and Macau. But it will be particularly welcome as the Pearl River Delta – for many years the hub of China's manufacturing – is buffeted by economic problems. The area's attempt to move up the value chain, combined with the rise of the yuan and the global economic crisis, has seen exports plummeting.

The bridge is one component in a plan issued in January by China's top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, which aims to fuse the area and the two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, into one of the world's most vibrant economic centres by 2020. In particular, the government hopes it will help to develop the western side of Guangdong province.

"It is a move for Hong Kong, Macau and the Pearl River Delta region to cope with global economic downturn, boost investment and inspire people," said the vice-premier, Li Keqiang, at the inauguration ceremony in Guangdong. "Meanwhile, it can also further increase [their] links and promote economic co-operation."

Hong Kong has said the bridge should generate $HK45bn (£3.6bn) of economic benefits within the first two decades of use, Reuters reported.

According to an article in New Civil Engineer magazine earlier this year, the bridges cross three navigation channels while the tunnel goes under a fourth.

"There is an airport nearby, so we could not build a bridge [in that area] which was the reason for the tunnel. The immersed tube is the longest in the world at 5.5km long," Naeem Hussain, global bridge leader at Arup, told the publication.

He said the bridge's piers would each be 170 metres high and that the design team had minimised the structures impact on estuary flows by limiting the size and number of columns in the water.

But the WWF and other environmental campaigners have warned that construction could devastate marine ecosystems and endanger the rare Chinese white dolphin, which is found in the estuarine waters of the Pearl river. Officials say they have already considered environmental issues in planning the project.

"We will control the construction noises and turbidity of seawater, and prevent oil pollution," Zhu told Xinhua.

It is only a year and a half since China opened a 36km span across Hangzhou Bay – in the eastern province of Zhejiang – which is currently the longest sea-bridge.

Wang Yong, the head of that project, said the design had led to more than 250 technological innovations and engineering breakthroughs, many of which will no doubt prove useful in building the new construction. He added that the Hangzhou bridge survived 19 severe challenges, including typhoons, tides, and geological problems during the three and a half years of construction.

The longest water-spanning bridge in the world is the Lake Pontchartrain causeway bridge in New Orleans, at 38.4km. But officials said that Hangzhou was a particularly difficult site to build because of its complex climate.

TEBC

January 2nd, 2010, 02:21 AM

they started to build it

hkskyline

January 18th, 2010, 05:34 PM

Dragages joins fray for deals in Big 10 building projects
12 January 2010
SCMP

Competition to win contracts in the city's 10 major infrastructure projects is heating up with French construction giant Dragages the latest company to throw its hat in the ring.

Dragages Hong Kong is spending millions of dollars to tender for more than HK$10 billion worth of contracts up for grabs as part of the government's economic stimulus package.

Dragages, established in Hong Kong in 1955, is part of the Bouygues Group, one of France's largest conglomerates. The group had sales of €32.7 billion (HK$368.11 billion) and net profit of €1.5 billion in 2008.

The 10 infrastructure projects, which are expected to cost about HK$250 billion, are designed to help tackle the impact of the global financial crisis on the city. Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen announced in October 2008 he was accelerating the construction of the projects, which are expected to take five or six years to complete.

"Dragages definitely hopes to be involved in the projects and are bidding for over HK$10 billion of contracts in the coming year," said Nicolas Borit, Dragages Hong Kong managing director.

"We don't expect to win all of them, as the competition is very strong. Given the size of the projects coming up, there will be work for everyone."

Dragages' competitors include Hong Kong construction firms including Gammon and Hip Hing.

Dragages is spending millions of dollars on the tendering process, which could cost between HK$5 million and HK$15 million for each bid, Borit said. "We do invest a lot of money in the bidding exercises. All of these large tenders cost a fortune," he said.

Putting up a tender proposal for many of these infrastructure projects required a team that included designers, architects and engineers, he said.

Dragages has almost 1,000 employees in Hong Kong. If it wins contracts from the 10 infrastructure projects, its headcount might increase close to its level in the 1990s, when it had more than 2,500 staff in the territory, said Borit.

However, he admitted the cost of labour was likely to soar with the huge demand from the projects, as it did in the 1990s, which was another intense phase of construction in Hong Kong with projects such as Chek Lap Kok airport.

"In the 1990s, the cost of labour rose tremendously in Hong Kong. For some trades where there were shortages, it almost tripled in peak times," Borit said.

Dragages' first involvement in the 10 infrastructure projects came at the end of last year, when a joint venture that it led won a contract from the MTR Corp. The deal, worth HK$1.6 billion, is to build tunnels between Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun stations on the West Island Line. The other two members of this joint venture are Maeda and Bachy Soletanche Group.

Dragages is also tendering for other contracts in the projects including the Express Rail Link between Hong Kong and Guangzhou,

the redevelopment of the former airport at Kai Tak and the South Island Line connecting Central with Sha Tin. It also hopes to tender for the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge, and is interested in the construction of the Hong Kong section.

"Dragages has been in Hong Kong for 55 years. The history of Dragages is totally related to the infrastructure development of the city. Every time Hong Kong has done a big step in infrastructure development, we have been part of it in a big way. So we plan to be there again," said Borit.

Dragages' first project in Hong Kong was the construction of the runway at Kai Tak airport during the 1950s. In the 1970s, it was involved in building the first container shipping terminal at Kwai Chung and also the Admiralty and Central MTR stations.

Dragages also took part in the construction projects at Chek Lap Kok, including Cathay Pacific Airways' headquarters, the airline's catering centre and the Haeco maintenance hangars.

hkskyline

January 24th, 2010, 06:46 AM

Tung Chung woman files legal challenge to bridge
24 January 2010
South China Morning Post

A Tung Chung resident has called for a judicial review of the decision to grant environmental permits for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, saying impact assessments ignored pollution issues and used faulty methodology.

Fu Tung Estate resident Chu Yee-wah filed the review application in the Court of First Instance last week. She is calling for Director of Environmental Protection Anissa Wong Sean-yee to review her decision to approve the bridge's environmental impact assessments last autumn, and to grant environmental permits for its construction and operation.

The Environmental Protection Department said it would investigate the case in consultation with the Department of Justice.

Construction of the bridge is scheduled to begin next year and be completed by 2016.

The estimated cost of the entire project, including the bridge and connecting facilities, is 72.9 billion yuan (HK$83 billion).

The filing criticises reports drafted by consultants regarding the crossing facilities, North Lantau Highway connection, and the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok link road - a highway connecting Tuen Mun with Hong Kong International Airport and Tung Chung.

"No sensible person in the position of director, and who applies his mind to the director's duty {hellip} could possibly have accepted the [environmental impact assessment] that concluded there would be no residual air quality impact whatsoever resulting from the operation of the projects," the filing said.

The reports failed to consider the bridge's impact on public health, the filing said. "Without the evidence of a quantitative risk assessment of the impact on public health, the director could not have lawfully granted an environmental permit under the [Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance]," it said.

Some of the criticisms in Chu's filing were based on opinions from experts in the University of Hong Kong's department of community medicine.

According to them, the reports ignored pollution factors such as fine suspended particles and sulphur dioxide, which the filing described as a major health hazard.

The experts cited in the filing said an assumption in one of the reports that the project would not generate ozone was invalid and unscientific.

"There is no question that ozone, as a pollutant, will be generated from the nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds emitted from road vehicles and construction equipment involved in this project, and from traffic during the operation of the bridge," the filing said.

Assessors should have taken air quality readings from a roadside monitoring station, rather than a general station that was 21 metres above ground in Tung Chung, the filing said.

The reports were conducted with reference to the city's 1987 air quality objectives, which the experts claimed were obsolete and overdue for revision. To show that the bridge would meet the objectives, the studies used 2015 as a baseline year to assess the project's impact. By 2015, government measures to reduce air pollution would have taken hold, meaning the project would have enough "headroom" to meet the objectives.

The experts said use of a baseline year was wrong, since it is based on speculation about future air quality.

Chu, 65, said in the filing that she lives in an area that the project will directly affect. She claimed the construction and operation of the project would affect her health, given her existing medical problems such as diabetes and a heart condition.

The project is already under fire from community and green groups for the danger it could pose to white dolphins in the area, and the disturbance it would generate for about 30,000 Tung Chung residents.

hkskyline

February 17th, 2010, 06:54 PM

HK border for cross-delta bridge targeted for 2016
11 December 2009
South China Morning Post

The Hong Kong border facilities for a multibillion-dollar bridge across the Pearl River Delta are expected to be completed within seven years, a transport official says.

Ground exploration works for the border facilities, which will be linked with the planned Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, and an international contest to give ideas for designing the facilities both kicked off yesterday.

Highways Department chief engineer Bok Kwok-ming said reclamation for building the border facilities would begin in the third quarter of next year. "We're by no means lagging behind as we keep an eye on the timetables of the three jurisdictions," he said. "Construction of the facilities is expected to finish in 2015 or 2016."

Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng said the start of the ground investigation works was an important milestone for the bridge project.

Cheng said she hoped the International Design Ideas Competition would draw innovative ideas and concepts to make the border facilities a new landmark in Hong Kong. The winning ideas will be used as reference for the detailed design of the facilities.

The border facilities - which will be completed in time for the bridge - will fit in with the Hong Kong Link Road, Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link and Tuen Mun Western Bypass to form a strategic road network. Cheng said the network would further boost Hong Kong's status as an international transport and aviation hub.

"The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge will serve not only as a regional strategic route but also gear to help enhance the economic development and competitiveness of the Pearl River Delta region," she said.

The Highways Department is jointly organising the designing contest with the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, the Environmental Protection Department, Institute of Architects, Institution of Engineers, Institution of Highways and Transportation, Institute of Landscape Architects and the Institute of Planners.

Professionals in architecture, planning and engineering as well as the general public worldwide are welcome to contribute their ideas and concepts. There are two entry groups for the competition: the professional group and the open group.

hkskyline

March 2nd, 2010, 01:46 PM

Labour imports for projects on the cards
27 February 2010
SCMP

Hong Kong may be on the verge of importing labour for the first time in more than a decade to bolster the ageing construction workforce, industry figures believe. They point to a string of multibillion-dollar projects about to take off.

The possibility emerged yesterday as the government outlined a package of measures aimed at attracting new blood to the industry with subsidies and higher pay. A government minister did not rule out importing labour if they did not succeed.

Presenting the measures, Secretary for Development Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor acknowledged the government faced an uphill battle to attract young workers to the industry.

"More than a third of the workers are over 50 whilst only six per cent are under 25," she said.

The minister said there was no immediate need to consider importing labour but the situation might change. "We are spending so much money on these infrastructure projects we do not want to see one day that we need to import labour."

Lam said that, as a politically accountable official, she knew the issue was highly contentious. "I really hope ... we do not have to contemplate [it] at all," she said.

When Hong Kong imported foreign labour for a number of industries, including garment factories, hotels and construction in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was hotly contested even though the overall unemployment rate was below 2 per cent at the time. It is now 4.9 per cent.

The construction workers' union said importing labour was not an option. "There is no room for any negotiation on that issue at all. We are totally against it," the president of the Construction Industry Employees General Union, Chow Luen-kiu, said.

But a member of the Hong Kong Construction Association who did not want to be named said even though the sector did not want to import labour it might be forced to do so to build the government's 10 planned infrastructure projects, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the cross-border express railway and the Kai Tak cruise terminal.

"We really find difficulty in attracting new people to the trade. And we will face furious competition on labour if projects in Macau resume," the member said, referring to big casino and resort works that were stalled by the financial crisis, leadding to thousands of lay-offs.

Key industry players agreed.

Colin Jesse, Hong Kong and China managing director of infrastructure consultancy Evans & Peck, said that if the 10 infrastructure projects went ahead as planned, "it is going to lead to a requirement for foreign labour".

"The average age of a carpenter in Hong Kong is 55," Jesse said. "There has been little or no new blood in the industry in the past 15 years. When this incredible new demand starts, there is simply not going to be sufficient experienced human resources available."

"Every construction company in Hong Kong will face a shortage of labour in bidding for the 10 major infrastructure projects. There is a problem in getting skilled labour for them," said Yam Kong, general manager of HCCG China Holdings, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Hsin Chong Construction Group.

In the next financial year alone, the government has set aside nearly HK$50 billion for projects it says will employ 62,500 people.

Lam said the shortage might not be an overall one but perhaps a shortage of skills in certain areas and the government was trying to fill that gap.

"What we are now doing is trying to anticipate that, as a result of a surge in public works as well as private sector projects, there may be a shortfall," she said.

In Wednesday's budget, HK$100 million was earmarked to support Construction Industry Council incentives to attract young people to the industry and to improve the practices of the trade.

At present, trainees taking the council's short courses are entitled to a daily training allowance of HK$90, equivalent to about HK$2,000 a month, during their 12 to 13 weeks of training. "We will increase the training allowance to an average of HK$5,000 per month," Mak Chai-kwong, permanent secretary for development, said yesterday.

Details have yet to be confirmed but Mak said the allowance would be given over three years to 3,000 trainees in occupations where recruitment was difficult, including bar-benders and fixers, shot firers, plumbers and metal workers.

The government would encourage employers to hire graduates from the trainee programme and pay them a starting salary of at least HK$8,000 per month, rising to at least HK$10,000 after six months, he said.

Conrad Wong Tin-cheung, president of the Hong Kong Construction Association, said employers supported the incentives.

"We really face a problem attracting new blood," he said.

hkskyline

March 11th, 2010, 03:52 PM

Round-the-clock border posts for Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge
10 March 2010
SCMP

Border posts at the three ends of a multibillion-dollar highway across the Pearl River Delta will be open around the clock, although that might not be possible immediately after the bridge's opening in 2016.

An agreement signed by authorities from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau released yesterday said the three governments would determine the best date for 24-hour operation to start.

The move is seen as another measure to boost use of the bridge, which after a 20-year delay in construction, is facing competition from other road networks and infrastructure - including a soon-to-be-built link that connects Shenzhen and Zhongshan.

It has been promised that the toll will be kept at the minimum needed to repay a 22 billion yuan (HK$25 billion) bank loan, interest, and the bridge's repair and maintenance expenses. The governments are not supposed to make a profit from the toll, which means it may eventually be reduced.

The agreement also specifies the rights and responsibilities of the three governments concerning the construction, operation, maintenance and management of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge's main structure.

As reported by the Post, Guangdong will replace Hong Kong as the chair of a committee that will make major decisions on the 37.73 billion yuan main bridge, which is over mainland waters. The province will also nominate the head of a bureau under the committee to oversee daily operations.

The committee will comprise nine members - three from each government. Each team will nominate its own leader, and the leader or an appointed substitute must attend committee meetings to ensure no parties are left out of major decisions.

In the event of a split in opinion, the governments will seek consensus through negotiation. The agreement bans the parties from resolving differences via legal action.

If disagreements on matters such as the setting of tolls and the number of permitted vehicles cannot be resolved, each government will report the matter to a high-level body comprising Beijing representatives.

One billion yuan will be set aside from the project's capital fund for the setting up of the bureau that oversees daily operations. It will also be responsible for raising loans to cover any shortfall in capital. The three governments will each pick a deputy chief to the bureau.

The tendering of the main construction work will be regulated by mainland laws, which means firms without a permit from mainland authorities cannot bid. However, the contracts worth more than 400 billion yuan may fall under the scrutiny of the World Trade Organisation and should be opened to all international bidders. Local engineers said they suspected most major contracts would go to mainland firms.

hkskyline

April 23rd, 2010, 05:34 PM

A bridge too far? Not for Hong Kong
Vancouver Sun
19 April 2010

HONG KONG - Even in this city-state's record of extraordinary feats of civil engineering, a project which started last December is remarkable.

It is to build a bridge almost 50 kilometres across the Pearl River delta from Hong Kong to the city of Zhuhai adjoining the former Portuguese colony of Macau.

The bridge, costing about $7 billion and which for much of its length will soar 200 metres above the waterway leading to some of China's busiest ports, is expected to be completed in 2016.

It will cut the road time from Hong Kong to the western shores of the Pearl River delta from more than four hours now to a little more than an hour.

More than that, it will bind Hong Kong into the rapidly expanding network of superhighways in China that are already edging into Southeast Asia.

The bridge will also be one of the most visible and concrete statements of the city's return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 after nearly 150 years of British colonial rule.

Under the handover agreement, Hong Kong is to remain a separate jurisdiction retaining much of its British administrative and judicial heritage for 50 years. But nearly 13 years after its return to Chinese sovereignty Hong Kong's integration into China is evident and the bridge will be another assertion of that reality.

While the bridge has its critics, who range from environment advocates to business people concerned it will allow foreign investors to speed through Hong Kong without stopping, Eva Cheng, the territory's secretary for transport -- the equivalent of minister -- said in an interview the project has been undertaken only after 47 studies.

The benefits, she said, far outweigh any possible downsides.

The bridge, she said, will stimulate Hong Kong investment in the industrial development of surrounding Guangdong province, which already accounts for 40 per cent of China's gross domestic product.

And as the Hong Kong end of the bridge will take off from the artificial island housing Chek Lap Kok airport -itself one of the city's engineering marvels -it will further encourage its development as a regional and international transportation hub.

The regional dominance of Hong Kong's new airport will be further enhanced with the construction by 2016 of a road tunnel from Chek Lap Kok under the western approaches of Victoria Harbour to Tuen Mun on the north shore. This will complete the vastly improved road links from Hong Kong to the manufacturing cities of Guangdong province, such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

The bridge, Cheng said, will have three lanes in each direction and is forecast to be carrying close to 60,000 cars and trucks a day as soon as it is opened.

The structure has been designed to have as little environmental impact as possible. That means, in part, planting as few supporting pylons as possible into the waters of the delta, home to about half of China's remaining population of some 2,000 white dolphins.

Some encouragement has been gained from the experience with the construction of Chek Lap Kok airport, whose man-made island was in an area frequented by the dolphins.

Cheng said that the dolphins disappeared while Chek Lap Kok was being constructed, but have now returned to the waters around the airport. The expectation is any disruption to the dolphins' habits while the bridge is being built will be similarly brief.

Hong Kong civil engineers have to deal with challenging geography and climate. The city is already home to the world's longest two-storey suspension bridge, which allows traffic to continue flowing during the frequent typhoons, and the bridge to Zhuhai will be similarly robust.

It has been designed to withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of eight, the most damaging intensity on the Richter scale, typhoons and the impact of a 300,000-tonne vessel hitting a support pylon.

But the bridge is not only a bridge. It is also a tunnel.

The Pearl River delta is the gateway to many of the busiest and most important ports in China. If the bridge impeded that traffic it would nullify its purpose.

So two islands are being constructed west of Hong Kong and about seven kilometres apart. A tunnel will be dug between the two islands, taking the highway under a channel wide and deep enough to allow passage for the largest ships and highest volume of maritime traffic conceivable.

There will be a toll for using the bridge; Cheng said it has not yet been decided how much that will be. The aim will be to set a rate which provides enough income to repay the bank loans for construction as well as maintenance and running costs without being so high that people are discouraged from using it.

She said she thinks the toll will be in the range of the equivalent of $13 for cars and $26 for trucks.

At that rate there may be an added benefit for Hong Kongers struggling with the city's outrageous housing costs.

It will be possible to live in more affordable western Guangdong province and commute to work in Hong Kong.

irutavias

April 25th, 2010, 06:11 AM

Any provision for a rail link?

maldini

April 25th, 2010, 08:01 AM

Any provision for a rail link?

Probably another dedicated bridge for highspeed trains.

hkskyline

April 25th, 2010, 05:50 PM

Any provision for a rail link?

No rail link - they thought about it at first though.

hkskyline

April 27th, 2010, 09:00 AM

A bridge built for two systems
9 April 2010
Copyright 2010 China Daily Information Company

Two days ago in Beijing we signed the Framework Agreement on Hong Kong-Guangdong Co-operation that is key to implementing the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (PRD). This outline was unveiled by the Central People's Government last year with the goal of establishing the PRD as one of the most competitive regions in the world by the year 2020.

What does this framework agreement mean for Hong Kong?

First and foremost, this landmark accord will serve people and companies of both Hong Kong and Guangdong, and promote mutual development. In other words, it will help to dismantle the invisible wall between us while preserving the integrity of "One Country, Two Systems" and the Basic Law.

A major underlying principle of the accord is "market leads, government facilitates". Removing unnecessary obstacles will facilitate the free flow of people, goods, capital and information. People will have greater choices in the way they work and live. There will be more opportunities for companies to thrive and grow.

In the coming decade, the framework agreement will have far-reaching implications for Hong Kong's relationship with Guangdong, in terms of transport infrastructure, cross-boundary movements, environmental protection, and support to businesses.

A number of mega cross-boundary infrastructure projects are at various stages of development. The coming decade will see the commissioning of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, and two mainland highways linking Hong Kong with the PRD. Meanwhile, planning is in full swing for an additional control point at the eastern boundary and a high-speed railway connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen airports .

Combine these with the strategic road and railway systems in Hong Kong and you have an extensive, seamless network with the various airports, waterways and ports in the PRD, making it possible to travel from Hong Kong to major PRD cities within one hour.

Software is equally important. The two sides will study various options to streamline immigration and customs clearance to facilitate self-service passenger clearance, synchronised customs declarations and clearance for goods, single platform for vehicle clearance, mutual recognition of customs inspections, and so on. These measures will go a long way in enhancing cross-boundary efficiency.

Further, we will create a single platform for Octopus and its Guangdong counterpart to ensure acceptance of the card after crossing the Shenzhen River. We also aim to relax the licensing arrangement for cross-boundary vehicles including private cars so that driving your own car to the mainland becomes a viable option. We will also make every effort to lower cross-boundary telecom charges.

In anticipation of more Hong Kong residents choosing to work and live in the PRD, the framework agreement proposes a host of support measures, including:

exploring the possibility of allowing Hong Kong technicians to obtain international, mainland and local qualifications by sitting for a single examination;

Hong Kong residents receiving the same medical privileges as their compatriots in Guangdong; improving the transfer of patients between the two medical systems; encouraging Hong Kong's medical sector to provide high quality medical services in Guangdong; supporting Hong Kong social welfare organisations to operate various social services in Guangdong; promoting exchanges and sharing of teaching resources in primary and secondary education; allowing more students to study in the universities of the other side; re-examining existing welfare policies concerning Hong Kong residents in Guangdong with regard to the implications of the various co-operation initiatives.

The PRD will be a role model for "green living" for the rest of China. We will take the lead by setting the most stringent air quality indices and emission standards. A cross-boundary, 400-kilometer corridor of natural preserve will act as a green buffer for the region. Resources will be committed to improving water quality, and policies implemented to promote environmental industries and the use of clean and renewable energy.

The framework agreement also contains myriad business-friendly initiatives to support economic co-operation. These include: financial services - promoting exchanges and co-operation of financial markets, institutions, talents; supporting the development of off-shore Renminbi business in Hong Kong; market access - further opening up the Guangdong market under the CEPA framework and various pilot schemes.

This will facilitate Hong Kong services providers (including professionals) to operate in Guangdong, support Hong Kong services industry in moving up the value chain, and encourage companies to jointly tap the business opportunities arising from services outsourcing. Hong Kong companies will also be able to establish their distribution and logistics networks in the mainland to further penetrate the domestic market; e-business - promoting mutual recognition of electronic signature certificates and enhancing common e-business technologies such as accreditation, online payment, and major standards; technical standards - collaborating on technical standards with a view to developing a set of common standards for services industries; manufacturing industries - supporting the restructuring and upgrading of the processing trade.

Innovation and technology will play a crucial role in this upgrading exercise, which aims to propel the PRD region up the international league of technology and innovation hubs. The agreement promotes commitment of funding and equipment to technological co-operation through favorable policies, commercialisation of Hong Kong R&D breakthroughs in Guangdong, attracting international high-tech companies to conduct R&D activities in the PRD, and stepping up intellectual property rights protection.

The framework agreement gives the blueprint and roadmap for forging a closer partnership between Hong Kong and Guangdong. The two sides will now press ahead with its implementation. In particular, we will: act on the key action areas for 2010 as agreed between the two governments; complete the planning studies jointly undertaken by the two sides - quality living, infrastructure, tourism, action plan of the Bay Area of the Pearl River Estuary; take forward the co-operation initiatives relating to selected regions in the PRD, in particular the planning and development of the Qianhai area in Shenzhen; work closely with central authorities to incorporate the major features of the framework agreement in the National 12th Five-Year Plan starting next year.

We are turning a new chapter in our collaboration with Guangdong. With determination and concerted efforts, it will be just a matter of time before we tear down the invisible wall that stands in the way of joint development.

maldini

May 11th, 2010, 09:33 AM

How do they count the bridge? Since there is a tunnel somewhere in the middle, splitting the bridge into two parts, is it still counted as 50 km?

hkskyline

May 23rd, 2010, 05:12 PM

How do they count the bridge? Since there is a tunnel somewhere in the middle, splitting the bridge into two parts, is it still counted as 50 km?
How does the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel count it? I'd think the total length would be classified as a bridge-tunnel project.

hkskyline

May 23rd, 2010, 05:12 PM

No plan to develop large-scale commercial at HK end of massive bridge: official

HONG KONG, May 19 (Xinhua) -- An official with the HK government said Wednesday the city didn't have a plan to develop large-scale commercial facilities at the HK end of the massive Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge based on environmental protection and financial considerations.

Acting Secretary for Transport and Housing of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, Yau Shing-mu, made the stance in his written reply to a question raised by a lawmaker of HKSAR Legislative Council.

Yau said the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities of the massive bridge will be located at the waters off the north-east of the HK International Airport on the Lantau Island, and reclamation works will start in the third quarter of this year.

The HK Boundary Crossing Facilities of the bridge will become a strategic transportation hub on the west of Hong Kong, and its traffic and economic benefits will radiate to nearby areas and will significantly boost the economic development capability of these areas, he said.

With reclamation works, which calls for environmental protection and financial considerations, it is necessary to minimize the size of the reclamation, which is currently estimated to be about 130 hectares, Yau said.

Moreover, since the boundary facilities is located in the vicinity of the Hong Kong International Airport, its buildings need to comply with the Airport Height Restrictions between 25 to 50 meters Principle Datum.

The official said the Transport and Housing department would take into account the connecting transport services at the crossing facilities, so that the future massive bridge can effectively promote the economic development of the nearby areas.

The under-construction bridge will be the world's longest cross- sea bridge, which links China's southern economic hub of Guangdong Province to Hong Kong and Macao regions.

The entire project was estimated to cost almost 73 billion yuan (10.7 billion U.S. dollars), which would be shared by authorities on the mainland, and in Hong Kong and Macao.

Construction began in December last year. It was scheduled to be put into service in 2016.

maldini

May 26th, 2010, 12:26 AM

How does the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel count it? I'd think the total length would be classified as a bridge-tunnel project.

But if you count the length of the bridge, do you still include the length of the tunnel?

hkskyline

July 19th, 2010, 01:39 PM

But if you count the length of the bridge, do you still include the length of the tunnel?

In the past, I recall reading the total mileage referred to both the bridge-and-tunnel combination, and not each section separately.

hkskyline

July 30th, 2010, 06:29 PM

Bridge bears cost of dolphin care
26 July 2010
SCMP

The cost of building the bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau will increase by 3.67 billion yuan (HK$4.2 billion) after more measures are implemented to protect the endangered Chinese white dolphins that live in the Pearl River estuary.

The extra cost is mainly because of measures that would allow the contractor to continue work between April and August - the peak breeding season for the mammals - to ensure the bridge can be completed on time.

It is not yet clear whether the cost has already been reflected in the earlier estimate of a total of HK$37.7 billion and how it would affect toll levels on the road.

Under the agreed financial arrangement, Hong Kong will contribute about HK$7.6 billion to the project, while the rest will come from the mainland authorities, the Macau government and the private sector.

The Guangdong Daily yesterday reported that if construction was banned during the five-month period, it would mean the 29.6-kilometre bridge - most of which falls within the mainland's jurisdiction - would open in 2019 and not 2016 as planned.

The report said an experts' meeting was held by the Ministry of Agriculture, which manages a dolphin reserve in the estuary, to reassess banning the work.

The meeting was also attended by officials from the Highways Department and the mainland in charge of the bridge work and the reserve.

Measures to be introduced to better protect the dolphins include adjusting the bridge design to reduce the number of foundations across the estuary, where up to 2,500 dolphins live.

Marine work would also be minimised by making as many bridge parts as possible on land.

Other measures include boat speed control and increased monitoring of the dolphins during construction.

Samuel Hung Ka-yiu, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, said he would prefer the work to continue from April to August to speed up the building.

"Banning construction during the period is not realistic. The earlier the work is completed, the less boats will be there too," Hung said.

A spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau yesterday said it would gather information about the reports and follow up the issue.

hkskyline

August 7th, 2010, 03:58 AM

Ex-SHKP chief wants rail link added to bridge
26 July 2010
SCMP

To prevent the HK$43 billion Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge from being underused and to shorten the project's payback period from 48 years to 19 years, Walter Kwok Ping-sheung, the ousted chairman of Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP), said a railway system should be added into the construction of the bridge.

After the debate on the construction of a new high-speed rail link from Hong Kong to Guangzhou and Shenzhen was settled earlier this year, Kwok (pictured) said it was time to look westward.

"The high-speed railway will be built on the east side while there are indeed more opportunities to develop on the west as land is much cheaper there." As a result, Kwok advises the central government to consider incorporating a railway into the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, which will connect Hong Kong to the other two cities.

Citing a recent article in the South China Morning Post, Kwok also expected to see the bridge being underused.

The Post reported on July 19 that the existing cross-border vehicle licence regulations - which require a company to invest at least HK$8 million in a mainland city or HK$3.2 million in a rural area to be qualified to apply for a cross-border licence - will adversely affect car flow.

"Macau will also constrain the number of cars crossing its border as it is such a small island." Kwok said.

He said casino tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-sun, the chairman of Shun Tak Holdings, would surely welcome his suggestion to build the railway even though it would affect Shun Tak's 24-hour ferry services between Hong Kong and Macau. "Mr Ho would be thankful for the proposal. He would earn much more from having more casino visitors than selling a ferry ticket for HK$200."

Kwok supported his proposal by citing a financial analysis conducted by consultancy firm GHK in 2008.

Comparing three different scenarios for the bridge project - dual three express lanes, dual two lanes plus railway, and railway only - GHK said the railway-only model has the shortest payback period - 17.4 years. The dual lane plus railway model would need 19.1 years and the dual three-lane model would need 48.6 years.

The study assumes there is an extension of the Airport Express line to carry passengers on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau link and the fare for a one-way trip is HK$200.

After decade-long negotiations, the three local governments kicked off the construction of the 35-kilometre bridge in mid-December last year when the central government gave the green light. The existing plan includes a six-lane express road connecting the bridge from Hong Kong's Lantau Island to Macau and Zhuhai. According to official estimates, an initial 13,000 to 20,000 vehicles are expected to cross the bridge every day on its completion in 2016, and traffic will eventually grow to 60,000 cars a day. Yet, only 22,000 private cars currently hold cross-border licences.

On another issue, Kwok urged the Hong Kong government to think twice before resuming building flats under the Home Ownership Scheme. "An HOS flat is selling at 70 per cent of the market price. Why do taxpayers have to subsidise HOS flat buyers for that 30 per cent discount?" he said.

If people cannot afford a flat in the urban district, Kwok said, they could consider SHKP's Yoho Town in Yuen Long for about HK$5,000 per square foot on the secondary market, or Tin Shui Wai, where a flat costs only about HK$3,000 per square foot.

BarbaricManchurian

August 7th, 2010, 12:55 PM

any construction pics?

hkskyline

August 7th, 2010, 03:51 PM

any construction pics?

Don't think construction has started on the Hong Kong side at least.

EricIsHim

August 7th, 2010, 03:59 PM

Don't think construction has started on the Hong Kong side at least.

Nothing noticeable above water yet; but pre-construction preparation has already started.

hkskyline

August 8th, 2010, 05:10 PM

Opinion : Why we need HK-Zhuhai link
5 August 2010
SCMP

Special economic zones established on the mainland pose a threat to Hong Kong's status as an international financial hub.

The most effective way to remedy this is to construct the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

This project will be a boost to Hong Kong's logistics industries.

Our nine container terminals are reaching saturation point. That problem can be solved by having a more effective link between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau. It will provide more business opportunities within the Pearl River Delta.

Hong Kong cannot stay in front by its own efforts. There must be a certain degree of co-operation with other governments in the region.

Of course, the protection of the Chinese white dolphins matters. While economic development is important, environmental protection issues cannot be neglected. Therefore, the government must come up with a strategy of sustainable development which will appease green groups.

There must be no further delays in this bridge project.

Jennifer Lam Nga-ching, Lam Tin

hkskyline

August 30th, 2010, 12:05 PM

China Megaproject Contract Coming Soon
9 August 2010
Engineering News-Record
(c) 2010 McGraw-Hill, Inc.

China plans to award a design-build contract soon for the sunken tube tunnel and artificial islands comprising part of the 30-kilometer-long, $5.5-billion road link between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau, in the Pearl River Delta. Bids for the bridge section will follow in a few months, says a project source. Officials plan to open the link in 2016.

From Hong Kong, some 5 km of bridges will link to two 700-meter-long islands, which will be linked by the tunnel. The crossing will continue on three cable-stayed bridges with spans from 280 m to 460 m. Viaducts will carry the link to Macau via another island. At 5.6 km, the tunnel will be 2 km longer than the world’s record-holder, the Denmark-Sweden Øresund, say engineers with COWI A/S, Copenhagen. With team leader China Highway Planning and Design Institute Consultants, COWI did preliminary design of the tunnel and islands. Arup Group, London, handled the design of some of the bridges.

Guangzhou-based Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge’s Advance Work Coordination Group Office (AWCGO) has a team of U.S., European and Chinese advisers. In July, says a source, it invited three teams to bid for the tunnel and islands. One of the teams, led by the contractor China Communications Construction Co. Ltd., Beijing, includes COWI and Arup.

To finance construction, the Chinese last year appointed a consortium led by Bank of China to secure $3.2 billion of debt. The governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, which jointly established AWCGO, will pay the balance.

hkskyline

November 8th, 2010, 04:22 PM

Opinion : New bridge will cut time and cost of cross-border transport
30 October 2010
South China Morning Post

I do not agree with correspondents who have criticised the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project.

I think it offers a better transport alternative than presently exists.

First of all, once the bridge is built, it will offer drivers the option of another highway going through Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai on the mainland.

At present there are long queues of trucks at the Lok Ma Chau border crossing, as they wait for clearance at immigration control. It is especially bad at the start of the weekend, on a Friday. Many drivers are forced to eat and even sometimes to sleep overnight in the cabins of their vehicles.

This is unhealthy and unsafe. There have been cases of theft and robbery while drivers were asleep. It is generally agreed that congestion is a very serious problem.

This shows that there is clearly a need for another road option.

The new bridge can alleviate these serious congestion problems at Lok Ma Chau.

It has been argued that existing hydrofoil services will be preferred over the bridge as they offer a better option, but I do not agree.

Although you have a faster journey by sea, you are not being offered a point-to-point service.

Piers are situated well away from the city centre and passengers have to get other forms of public transport once they alight from the boat. This is time-consuming.

When they get to the ferry terminal before their trip, customers have to buy their hydrofoil tickets.

There are often long queues. If the sailing of their choice is full they may have to wait for an hour or two to make their trip, and this wastes time.

The other option is to book days in advance, but this is inconvenient.

The whole process of travelling by hydrofoil will be more time-consuming than using the bridge once it is open for business.

Drivers and coaches will have direct routes and will reach their destinations with ease.

This will be good for the economies of Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau as it will be easier for businessmen to meet up with each other and transport their goods.

There will be vigorous competition, so transport costs will go down.

I see the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge as an efficient transport alternative.

Also, the construction project will provide thousands of jobs.

Wong Yiu-ka, North Point

hkskyline

November 26th, 2010, 08:53 AM

HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority Awards Tender To China Communications Construction JV
18 November 2010

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--A China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (1800.HK) joint venture received a contract to design and build two artificial islands and a 6.7-kilometer tunnel for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Hong Kong Transport Department said Wednesday.

The contract, awarded by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority, will tentatively commence this year, the statement said, without specifying the value of the contract. Upon completion, which is scheduled for 2016, the tunnel will be the world's longest immersed tube tunnel.

The tendering process was undertaken and supervised by authorities in mainland China, the statement added.

Other members of the joint venture include AECOM Asia Co., Shanghai Urban Construction (Group) Co., China Highway Planning and Design Institute Inc., COWI A/S, Shanghai Tunnel Engineering & Rail Transit Design and Research Institute, and CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Investigation and Design Institute, the statement said.

hkskyline

December 16th, 2010, 09:57 AM

Pearl river delta builds up a future for growth
16 November 2010
Financial Times

Hong Kong's economic future is tied to the Pearl river delta in neighbouring Guangdong province.

The delta was an early beneficiary of China's reform programme. In 1979, two special economic zones were established there, in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, and Guangdong was given permission to open up to business before other parts of China. Its gross domestic product (GDP) grew from $8bn in 1980 to $89bn in 2000 - and to more than $450bn in 2009. The region's real GDP growth in the period exceeded 16 per cent per year, well above China's 10 per cent.

The delta has become a manufacturing platform of global importance, and a world leader in electronic goods, electrical products, electrical and electronic components, watches and clocks, toys, garments, plastic products, and numerous other goods. It accounts for only 0.6 per cent of China's land area and 3.5 per cent of its population, but one-tenth of GDP, a quarter of trade and a fifth of inward foreign direct investment.

It was affected by the global downturn in 2009, but growth was still impressive and the subsequent rebound even more so. Guangdong's GDP - 80 per cent of which is generated on the delta - grew 11.6 per cent year-on-year to Rmb3,150bn ($473bn) in the first three-quarters of 2010 after growing 8.6 per cent last year. Guangdong's exports, 95 per cent of which are made in the delta, were up 27.8 per cent to $321bn in the first three-quarters of 2010. Exports of mechanical and electronics products, accounting for almost three-quarters of provincial exports, were up 28.9 per cent. Exports of clothes, footwear, furniture, and toys were up 21.6 per cent, 22.8 per cent, 39.3 per cent, and 29.8 per cent respectively.

The area has had to contend with rising wages, land costs, and utility rates; an appreciating renminbi; a new employment law; instances of labour unrest; and more restrictive export processing regulations. But, while many individual firms have fallen on hard times, the loss of competitiveness that some predicted has failed to materialise.

The renminbi is still undervalued, utility rates are well below world averages, and real manufacturing wages have not caught up to productivity gains over the past two decades. While reported manufacturing margins in the delta are low, cost increases have not resulted in a loss of competitive position because low margins stem more from competition among factories than from competition between the delta and other locations.

Most exports are made by foreign-invested companies, many of which book their profits outside China. Re-export margins for goods shipped through Hong Kong, a low-tax centre, have averaged around 25 per cent.

However, the delta's economy is changing. It has moved beyond simple assembly to include production of components, inputs, and capital goods; beyond light industry into heavier industries such as the auto, chemical, and machinery industries; and beyond low-tech products and simple services into higher-tech products and more advanced services.

Much of the pressure on low value-added industries has come from higher value-added industries competing for land, labour, and resources. The Guangdong government has also embarked on a big programme to upgrade the province's economy, pushing some industries out of the region to make way for others. Wang Yang, provincial party secretary, says it is time to "empty the cage so new birds can come in". This approach is reflected in the National Development and Reform Commission's "Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008-2020)". The commission intends the delta to continue to lead China's development by moving up the value-added ladder, fostering advanced manufacturing and technology industries, developing globally advanced innovation capabilities and building strong modern service sectors. Specific targets include a per capita GDP up from Rmb62,644 ($9,400) in 2008 to Rmb80,000 ($12,000) in 2012 and Rmb135,000 ($20,260) by 2020. These are ambitious targets, but the delta has consistently exceeded its targets over the past 30 years.

What does this mean for Hong Kong? Many of the companies coming under cost pressure in the delta are from Hong Kong and also face increased competition from Chinese competitors. Industries and activities continue to shift from Hong Kong into the delta. However, Hong Kong remains the nexus between the most dynamic economic region in China and the rest of the world. The territory also remains a high-end service provider, management centre and financier for much of the economic activity in the PRD. Activities displaced from Hong Kong are replaced by higher value managerial, marketing, and financial activities.

China's leadership recognises the critical role Hong Kong plays in the delta's development. The NDRC's plan calls for greater economic integration with Hong Kong through improved infrastructure (the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Guan-gzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and others); streamlined cross-boundary travel and trade; and co-operation in science, technology, education, training, logistics, finance, and the environment.These intentions have been enshrined in the Hong Kong-Guangdong Co-operation Framework Agreement signed in April.

Hong Kong and the delta are likely to benefit from being parts of the one of the world's most exciting regional economies.

Michael Enright is Sun Hung Kai Professor at the University of Hong Kong. He is co-author of The Greater Pearl River Delta (Invest Hong Kong, 2010).

Leading the world

Hong Kong continues to be an extremely important management centre for foreign multinational companies that are operating in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to a survey of 1,000 western and Japanese multinationals in 1998 and repeated 10 years later, Hong Kong substantially extended its lead over Singapore as a regional (Asia or Asia-Pacific) or sub-regional (North Asia-Pacific or South Asia-Pacific) headquarters location.

And, while Shanghai is increasing in importance as a regional centre, it remains way behind Hong Kong.

The results from managers in Hong Kong also demonstrated that the territory's importance to multinationals increased in all but one activity (import/export) - and in that area it remained the same.

In part this was because of the increased importance of the Asia-Pacific region as a whole to the companies - particularly the western companies in the sample - and in part to the expansion of Hong Kong's roles.

hkskyline

January 11th, 2011, 03:21 PM

AECOM awarded US$150-million consultancy contract for the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

Release date - 05012011

LOS ANGELES - AECOM Technology Corporation, a leading provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world, announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, AECOM Asia Company Limited, has been awarded a US$150-million consultancy contract - which includes detailed design and provision of supervision-in-charge and resident site staff costs - for the superstructures and infrastructure of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge’s (HZMB) Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF).

Under the consultancy contract from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s Highways Department, AECOM will provide detailed design and contract administration during the construction of the facilities and associated connecting road system. The 18-mile HZMB’s main section - which is a series of bridges and a sub-sea tunnel - and the 7-mile Hong Kong Link Road - which is a series of bridges, a land tunnel and at-grade roads - will connect the HKBCF on the east side of the Pearl River Estuary to the Zhuhai-Macao boundary crossing facilities on the estuary’s west side.

‘AECOM is excited to work on this important roadway project,’ said AECOM President and Chief Executive Officer John M. Dionisio. ‘This is a major engineering-consultancy contract from Hong Kong’s Highways Department, and we are honored to play a key role in supporting the transportation-infrastructure needs of the growing demand for boundary-crossing communications in the region.’

The AECOM-designed facilities are targeted for completion in concert with the bridge link’s opening during 2016.

About AECOM

AECOM (NYSE: ACM) is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government. With approximately 52,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation, and technical excellence in delivering solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural, and social environments. A Fortune 500 company, AECOM serves clients in more than 100 countries and had revenue of $6.5 billion during its fiscal year 2010. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact are ‘forward-looking statements’ for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including any statements of plans for future operations or expected revenue.Actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in any of our forward-looking statements.Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements are set forth in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2010, and our other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. AECOM does not intend, and undertakes no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement.

hkskyline

February 6th, 2011, 07:16 AM

Safety precautions, contingency measures vital to every voyage
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Government Press Release

Vessel owners and personnel on board must take adequate safety precautions and have in place contingency measures for every intended voyage, the Director of Marine, Mr Roger Tupper, said this afternoon (January 20).

Addressing the opening of the Navigational Safety Seminar organised by the Marine Department at the Hong Kong Space Museum, Mr Tupper said that personnel on board should keep a good lookout, maintain a safe speed and fully comply with the Collision Regulations once at sea.

He said, "Prior to and during the voyage, it is also very important to be fully aware of the latest weather reports, especially fog and strong wind warnings."

As it will be the foggy season shortly, Mr Tupper emphasised the need to proceed at an appropriate and safe speed, especially in these days of climate change when mist and fog could appear outside of the normal season.

Of special note in the upcoming years, vessel owners and personnel on board should exercise particular caution in the vicinity of all the existing and future marine works in the waters of Hong Kong and the Pearl River estuary. For instance, reclamation work in the Ex-Wan Chai Public Cargo Working Area and Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter will commence early this year and last for some six years. The construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, including reclamation to the east of the airport for the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities, will also commence and last for some five years.

The Marine Department will publish Marine Department Notices to promulgate the various stages of these works with navigational safety advice.

Today's annual Navigational Safety Seminar attracted about 160 representatives from the shipping and fishing industries, as well as masters and operators of local vessels and river-trade vessels. They exchanged views on points for vessels to note when navigating in restricted visibility, safety for local vessels at sea, an analysis of marine accidents and their implications, and weather information and navigational safety.

Representatives from the Marine Police, Fire Services Department, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department also joined the discussions.

To further promote awareness and co-operation among marine users and associations, a series of education seminars and publicity campaigns will be launched to highlight proper safety precautions so that marine accidents can be kept to the minimum.

hkskyline

February 27th, 2011, 06:00 AM

HK community must get more involved in plans for the delta
22 February 2011
SCMP

The discussion over the "Action Plan for the Bay Area of the Pearl River Estuary" is wrongly cast as a battle between integration and autonomy. The real issue is good versus bad planning.

"One country, two systems" responded to the fears of many in China and Hong Kong, before the handover. But by now the focus should be on building one country out of two systems through dynamic integration. For matters such as law, autonomy of the two systems benefits Hong Kong and the mainland. However, as we breathe the same air, drink the same water, and as our economies are tied together, we need to integrate our transport and urban plans, and our environmental controls, for the Pearl River Delta.

The Bay Area action plan shows that planning progress is deplorable. It took 14 years to achieve plans for the delta. And when they came out, only a mini digest was available for the public to comment on within 10 days. The Planning Department said the study is just a collection of old plans rather than a mature strategic plan for the delta. This may be the painful truth reflecting the lack of inter-departmental co-operation in Hong Kong and across the border. Fortunately, people spoke up and the consultation has been extended, and more complete reports will hopefully be released soon.

So far, we have seen some good ideas, including emission control areas to limit air pollution by the shipping industry and green ways to be kept free from development. But the action plan's focus is more on promoting what will be saved rather than explaining how much more will be lost. Little detail is provided of the new developments and massive reclamations that will reshape the entire delta.

The action plan has many new road and rail links, including cross-delta links the administration did not show when it consulted the community on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. Now we see that while we are building a road-only bridge between two cities which can't handle more vehicles, Shenzhen and Zhuhai are building a rail bridge we can use just north of Hong Kong.

When officials went to the Legislative Council for the express rail funding, they refused to include a station in the New Territories where half of our population live, because it would slow down the service. The mainland has included small stations and runs both local and express services along the new rail lines to Guangzhou. The action plan also confirms the Hong Kong-Shenzhen airport link with high-speed trains transferring passengers between airports. This link will again include a minor station, this time to stimulate the development of Qianhai - in Shenzhen of course. The Hong Kong community has yet to comment on the project.

Clearly, the mainland teams sweep the floor with our bureaucrats . The Hong Kong community should get involved early in the planning of the Pearl River Delta as it directly impacts the future living environment, infrastructure and economic opportunities. It is not a matter of autonomy over integration, but a matter of improving plans and projects before it is too late to make changes.

Paul Zimmerman, CEO, Designing Hong Kong

hkskyline

March 11th, 2011, 03:14 AM

Tycoon repeats demand for rail link on bridge
6 March 2011
SCMP

Former Sun Hung Kai Properties chairman Walter Kwok Ping-sheung is not one to admit defeat and yesterday repeated his demand that a railway to be added to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge that is already under construction.

He proposed the idea in July 2010 and in January sent a letter to officials involved, demanding a railway be added to the bridge.

Speaking at the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing, Hong Kong delegate Kwok proposed that the railway be written into the national five-year plan.

The railway might drive up the costs of building the bridge by 30 per cent, but the benefits of linking Hong Kong to the rail networks of the other two cities would override the expense, he said.

Building a bridge across the Pearl River delta between Shenzhen and Zhongshan - back on the drawing board five years after being shelved - would marginalise Hong Kong and Macau and weaken Hong Kong airport's dominance, he said.

hkskyline

March 14th, 2011, 05:07 PM

Chinese mainland to deepen economic cooperation with HK, Macau over next 5 years
5 March 2011

BEIJING, Mar. 5 (Xinhua) – China's central government will strengthen exchange and economic cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macau SAR and further support the deepening of intra-regional cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong and Macao for mutual benefit in the five years to come, according to the country's draft 12th Five-year Plan for National Economic and Social Development submitted Saturday to national lawmakers for reviewing.

The draft plan also gives a list of the key cooperation projects between Guangdong and Hong Kong and Macau SAR as follows:

--Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which links China's southern economic hub of Guangdong Province to Hong Kong and Macau regions, will be the world's longest cross-sea bridge upon completion.

Construction of the bridge was kicked off in December 2009 and is expected to be completed by 2016.

--Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, also known as Guangshengang XRL, is an express railway to be open in phases in the period of 2011 to 2016.

It will be also connected with the Wuguang High-speed Railway and the Hangzhou-Fuzhou-Shenzhen Express Rail Link.

-- Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Line

As a link between Hong Kong International Airport and Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Line will become Hong Kong SAR's third direct cross-boundary railway.

-- Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Checkpoint

Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai boundary checkpoint will serve as a quick link between Hong Kong and South China's Guangdong province.

Planned to connect the Eastern Corridor in neighboring Shenzhen, the checkpoint will offer an efficient access to the eastern part of Guangdong Province and adjacent provinces via the Shenzhen-Huizhou and Shenzhen-Shantou expressways, cutting the journey time between Hong Kong and Shenzhen city, the eastern part of Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi provinces.

-- Shenzhen Qianhai Producer Service Zone

As a key cooperation project in service sector between Shenzhen city of Guangdong and Hong Kong SAR, the zone is expected to become a bridgehead in the producer service industry in the Asia-Pacific region by 2020.

-- Guangzhou Nansha New Area Development Zone

The Guangzhou Nansha New Area Development Zone is anticipated to blossom into a business, technology innovation and education center for Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macau SAR.

-- Zhuhai Hengqin New Area Development Zone

With a planned area of 106.46 square kilometers, the Zhuhai Hengqin New Area Development Zone is expected to offer a new platform for industrial upgradation in Zhujiang city, and help to explore new cooperation model between Guangdong and Hong Kong and Macau SAR.

EricIsHim

March 14th, 2011, 08:28 PM

^^ Besides the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Line, all infrastructures are already under construction, or the three development zones are in final stage of planning. Nothing really surprising.

DanielFigFoz

March 14th, 2011, 11:59 PM

EricIsHim

March 15th, 2011, 12:50 AM

Will the road be to Hong Kong or Mainland or Macau standard, or will the road markings change half-way though?

I'm guessing that HK and Macau cars won't need the extra registration to pass from one SAR to the other.

To my understand, the bridge will follow the Mainland China standard, but also meeting the Hong Kong at the same time.

Actually, the plan right now still requires vehicles from one place to obtain the other party registration before the vehicles can enter the other territories; this also go with driver license, people have to have a valid local license to drive in the other territories

DanielFigFoz

March 15th, 2011, 01:15 AM

hkskyline

March 15th, 2011, 03:51 AM

To be honest, with all the links between HK and Macau, I find that a bit surprising, so they can pass from one to the other with just an ID Card, but will need two registrations?

Anyway, thanks for the answer.

Well, the ID card is like a simplified passport. We still need to go through their immigration and customs and vice versa.

EricIsHim

March 15th, 2011, 04:10 AM

To be honest, with all the links between HK and Macau, I find that a bit surprising, so they can pass from one to the other with just an ID Card, but will need two registrations?

Anyway, thanks for the answer.

Both Hong Kong and Macau have very limited road capacity in the urban core, it is desired not to open the freedom of vehicle movements to keep the volume down as much as possible at this point, especially not opening the boarder up for mainland vehicle yet where has a driving system then either HK and Macau.

DanielFigFoz

March 15th, 2011, 10:41 PM

Well, the ID card is like a simplified passport. We still need to go through their immigration and customs and vice versa.

Same as if you say, went from Portugal to the UK (without the customs though). It seems a bit strange from here, where its very easy to drive across from one place to another (they might stop you, but you don't need two registrations or anything.

If the bridge is not designed for people to drive across from HK to Zhuhai or Macau, what is the point of the bridge?

hkskyline

March 16th, 2011, 11:45 AM

Same as if you say, went from Portugal to the UK (without the customs though). It seems a bit strange from here, where its very easy to drive across from one place to another (they might stop you, but you don't need two registrations or anything.

If the bridge is not designed for people to drive across from HK to Zhuhai or Macau, what is the point of the bridge?

It's actually a cargo link rather than a leisure link. It was designed to allow goods from the western part of the delta to reach HK for export. Goods trucks that ply China and HK have dual licenses, which are affixed to vehicles. It was not intended for families to drive on it for a weekend outing to Macau or Zhuhai.

Nordicon

March 16th, 2011, 06:00 PM

Only road? :bash:

DanielFigFoz

March 16th, 2011, 10:06 PM

It's actually a cargo link rather than a leisure link. It was designed to allow goods from the western part of the delta to reach HK for export. Goods trucks that ply China and HK have dual licenses, which are affixed to vehicles. It was not intended for families to drive on it for a weekend outing to Macau or Zhuhai.

What about weekend outings to Hong Kong:lol:?

But more seriously, will cars be allowed to pass over the bridge. Most people don't have cars in these cities, but even I know that quite a lot of people do, and I can tell that from my computer. If cars are going to be allowed pass, they will.

P.S According to wikipedia there are 584 000 (2009) private motor vehicles in HK, which is less than I thought, but still not that little.
In Macau there are 146 000 private motor vehicles.

hkskyline

March 17th, 2011, 03:56 AM

What about weekend outings to Hong Kong:lol:?

But more seriously, will cars be allowed to pass over the bridge. Most people don't have cars in these cities, but even I know that quite a lot of people do, and I can tell that from my computer. If cars are going to be allowed pass, they will.

P.S According to wikipedia there are 584 000 (2009) private motor vehicles in HK, which is less than I thought, but still not that little.
In Macau there are 146 000 private motor vehicles.

Well, cars need to be properly licensed in both jurisdictions in order to pass through the bridge.

Keep in mind despite the number of cars in HK, people typically don't use them too much compared to the Americans.

DanielFigFoz

March 17th, 2011, 08:23 PM

True those Americans do drive a lot :lol:

hkskyline

March 27th, 2011, 07:32 AM

Environmental impact study of delta bridge challenged in court
23 March 2011
South China Morning Post

A public consultation carried out by the government on construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge was unable to serve its purpose because the project's environmental impact study did not meet assessment standards, a court heard yesterday.

Chu Yee-wah, a Tung Chung resident, is challenging the impact study as well as the granting of permits for certain parts of the huge infrastructure project.

Chu earlier filed an application for a judicial review of Environmental Protection Department director Anissa Wong Sean-yee's decision in 2009 to approve impact reports and grant environmental permits to construct certain sections of the massive project.

"Members of the public can comment on a compliant report," Chu's barrister, Philip Dykes SC, said yesterday. "But if a report is non-compliant, the process is defeated."

Dykes said the process of consultation was important as it allowed the public to comment, and the director of environmental protection to take into consideration things that might have been overlooked.

Yesterday saw the first day of a four-day hearing on the review application at the High Court before Mr Justice Joseph Fok.

The impact study and granting of permits under challenge concern border-crossing facilities and a section of the bridge in Hong Kong known as the Hong Kong Link Road. Chu criticised the reports drafted by consultants, saying they do not comply with requirements imposed on them.

Chu's application argued that an important aspect of the impact study was the public's evaluation of how acceptable a project's environmental cost would be.

Chu, 65, who is retired, has diabetes and a heart condition. She is contending that the construction and operation of the projects in question would affect her health. She is receiving legal aid for the application, and was not present at the hearing yesterday.

Chu's legal team argued the reports failed to consider the bridge's impact on public health. Experts cited in her application said the impact reports ignored pollution such as fine suspended particles and sulphur dioxide, and that an assumption in one report that the project would not generate ozone was invalid and unscientific.

Speaking in court yesterday, Dykes said the impact reports had not mentioned the limitations of a model used to predict regional air quality.

The model, called "Pollutants in the Atmosphere and the Transport over Hong Kong", was developed by the Environmental Protection Department.

Construction of the bridge is scheduled to begin this year and to be completed by 2016. The estimated cost of the entire project, including the bridge and connecting facilities, is 72.9 billion yuan (HK$83 billion).

Edwin Town, deputy chairman of the executive committee at Clear The Air, an organisation supporting air-pollution reduction measures, said environmental impact assessment reports frequently left out important information.

Clear The Air was supporting Chu's application, said Town outside the court yesterday.

snapdragon

March 28th, 2011, 06:45 PM

I personally believe this whole environment fear mongering is just cover to what really is the main inbuilt worry . The integration of Hong kong into mainland China . That is what hkgers mostly resent and and see this project as a representation of them losing their independent identity .Thats my personal view

hkskyline

April 11th, 2011, 05:02 PM

New doubt over Shenzhen-Zhongshan link
8 April 2011
SCMP

A project to give Shenzhen much-wanted direct acess to the western Pearl River Delta is in danger of being shelved again.

Shenzhen first came up with the plan to build an underwater tunnel or a bridge to connect it with Zhongshan about five years ago - shortly after its request to be included in the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge scheme was rejected by Beijing due to Hong Kong's strong reaction.

Shenzhen responded by proposing to build the tunnel or bridge, which also raised concerns in Hong Kong as the project was to run parallel to the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge. Some mainland experts estimated that the Shenzhen-Zhongshan corridor could lure 40 per cent of the bridge's likely traffic away.

However, Shenzhen could not get political backing from either the provincial or the central government - both wanted the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge to have priority - and the plan was set aside.

Shenzhen revived the idea last year - this time apparently with the Guangdong government's blessing. Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua said in January that the project would be included in its 12th five-year plan. It was estimated to cost around 30 billion yuan (HK$35.6 billion).

But just as Shenzhen thought it had finally got what it wanted, it was told that the National Development and Reform Commission - the mainland's top economic planner - had decided to build a bridge between Humen in Dongguan and Nansha in Guangzhou as part of its regional railway project.

It was a serious blow for Shenzhen as a Humen-Nansha bridge would run parallel to the Shenzhen-Zhongshan corridor, leaving the latter with little chance of being given approval.

Some politicians in Shenzhen were disappointed that the city had once again been left out.

"In the past, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan bridge was put on hold because the central government wanted to support Hong Kong," said Jin Xinyi , a member of the Shenzhen committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

"Shenzhen has already been marginalised last time because we had to care for people in Hong Kong and Macau," Jin said. "Now Guangzhou also wants to take away our bread."

Some Shenzhen political delegates to the national and provincial assemblies complained in private that delegates from Hong Kong had for years tried to shoot down the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link project in order to protect Hong Kong's position.

The latest twist again exposed the behind-the-scene rivalries among Pearl River Delta cities.

Many in Shenzhen felt the city was not competing on a level playing field with Hong Kong, which they said had the ear of Beijing, and Guangzhou, the provincial capital.

Jin admitted the future of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan corridor was now far from certain.

"It may have been included in Guangdong's 12th five-year plan. But there is no timetable and they haven't even decided the landing point locations. Now we suddenly have this new bridge [between Humen and Dongguan]. This is not what Shenzhen had anticipated."

Jin said the rivalries would leave the region divided and the ultimate winner would be Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta. "Who is happy to see Hong Kong fail? Who wants to replace its position? It's not Shenzhen. It's Shanghai."

Ding Li , an expert on regional economics at the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, said the Guangzhou to Dongguan link made more economic sense.

"First Guangzhou is an more important engine in driving [the economy of] whole Guangdong. It's natural the provincial and central government will consider it ahead of Shenzhen. Second, we have already invested a lot on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. Do we need another one so close to it?

"In the end this is all about rivalries among Pearl River Delta cities. Beijing will be the arbitrator."

EricIsHim

April 12th, 2011, 07:01 PM

SZ doens't get the bridge it wants and lose a direct link, but at the same time the city will sit in between two major east-west link in the future. I guess SZ won't lose everything at the end.

hkskyline

April 19th, 2011, 05:14 AM

Abridged
The Standard
Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Construction work on the giant bridge linking Hong Kong to Zhuhai and Macau may be further delayed after the High Court ruled an environmental impact assessment was not done properly.

The judge ruled in favor of Tung Chung resident Chu Yee-wah, 65, who filed a judicial review.

Court of First Instance Justice Joseph Fok ordered the permits for some infrastructure work granted by director of environmental protection Anissa Wong Sean-yee in 2009 to be quashed.

Justice Fok said the absence of an analysis of the environmental conditions without the project in place in the assessment reports means they do not comply with a government technical memorandum and the study briefs of the project.

"It therefore follows that the director had no power to approve them, nor did she have power to grant the environmental permits" for the parts of the project questioned.

He said it is "highly material" for the director and public to know the predicted nitrogen dioxide levels with and without the projects in place so that the director can determine whether those increases are acceptable.

In so doing, he said, the public can be made aware of the extent to which the proposed project will change the environmental conditions.

The Environmental Protection Department said it will study the judgment and seek legal advice on its next step.

Hong Kong construction work on the bridge was scheduled to start early this year and be completed by 2016.

A spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau said: "We will continue to press ahead with the advance works of the local projects, and will look into ways on how to carry forward the works - such as to proceed or complete the works in phases - to endeavor to tie in with the target of completing and commissioning the bridge in 2016."

The assessment reports are on the boundary crossing facilities to be built on reclaimed land in the northeastern waters near Chek Lap Kok and a nearby link road.

Construction was due to start in the third quarter last year but has not yet started, while the link road was slated to be built from this year.

A member of the Legislative Council's panel on transport, Lau Kong-wah, said the later the start of the construction work, the higher the cost may go.

Another panel member, Wong Sing- chi, said the government should not appeal the decision and instead fix the problems in the environmental assessment as soon as possible.

Solicitor Wong Hok-ming, who represented Chu, said he is satisfied with the ruling.

Although the bridge will enhance the economic development of the Pearl River Delta, he insisted the environmental impact assessment of such a large-scale development must not be "carelessly done."

Wong, a member of the Civic Party, denied Chu has any political affiliation, though she had volunteered for the party.

hkskyline

April 19th, 2011, 07:30 PM

THB's response to court's judgement on Judicial Review in respect of environmental impact assessment of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
Monday, April 18, 2011
Government Press Release

In response to media enquiries on the judgement handed down by the High Court on a judicial review case in respect of the environmental impact assessment of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB), a spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau said:

“The HZMB project is a cross-boundary transport infrastructure project that has been under planning for a long time. It has very important strategic value in terms of further enhancement of the economic integration and development between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The commissioning of the project will bring a new era for the transportation connections between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The HZMB will not only inject impetus to Hong Kong's long-term economic development, but also bring new opportunities to the various key sectors in Hong Kong, including tourism, financial, trade, commercial and logistics industries etc.

Among the seven contentions which the applicant raised in the judicial review application, we noted that the Court did not accept six of them which were related to environmental standards. The Court made its ruling on the ground that the Government had only provided the projected environmental conditions with the project in place and had failed to present separate data on the environmental conditions without the project in place.

We will study the judgement and its implications before deciding how to handle the aforesaid procedural issue, having regard to the requirements of the law, as soon as possible. Works of the Main Bridge have already commenced. We will continue to press ahead with the advance works of the local projects, and will look into ways on how to carry forward the works, such as to proceed or complete the works in phases, to endeavour to tie in with the target of completing and commissioning the Bridge in 2016.

hkskyline

May 10th, 2011, 04:32 PM

Top court appeal over mega bridge
The Standard
Thursday, May 05, 2011

The government is to appeal against a court ruling that quashed the environmental permit for the Hong Kong- Zhuhai-Macau bridge in a move that may further delay construction.

The action will be taken in the Court of Final Appeal this week on the grounds it is not mandatory under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance for the government to assess air quality without the project in place, a source said.

The source said the authorities are also preparing to counter the High Court's claim that the assessment report is "substandard" and that the government needs to reassess the environmental impact of proposed boundary-crossing facilities.

Last month, Chu Yee-wah, a 65-year-old Tung Chung resident who is in poor health, successfully argued the Environmental Protection Department had failed to conduct the necessary assessments before granting permits for the construction of the mega bridge, which passes close to her residence.

Chu's lawyer, Alan Wong Hok-ming, said yesterday the legal battle could drag on for six months or more.

Work on the Hong Kong section of the bridge was scheduled to begin late last year and be completed in 2016, but work has not yet started because of the lawsuit.

Meanwhile, the earlier High Court ruling has had a knock-on effect, with the MTR Corp withdrawing impact assessment reports for its Sha Tin-Central rail link.

A transport advisory body had raised concerns over the progress of the 17-kilometer line.

Transport Advisory Committee chairman Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung said if many changes are needed, the railway operator may postpone the public consultation exercise scheduled to end early next year.

hkskyline

May 21st, 2011, 07:03 AM

Party lines drawn as Tsang hits out over bridge blow
The Standard
Friday, May 20, 2011

The chief executive yesterday accused political parties of using environmental protection to disrupt major infrastructure projects, hindering social prosperity and putting Hong Kong at risk of being marginalized.

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen did not name any particular party but it was evident he was referring to the Civic Party, which allegedly helped a 66-year-old Tung Chung woman in her successful judicial review of the legality of the environmental assessment report for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

"I am aware of some opinions from the community that some political party politicians are using legal action and other means to disrupt major infrastructure just before kickoff in the name of environmental protection and conservation," Tsang said. "They do so regardless of whether it undermines the overall and long-term interest of Hong Kong for their political objectives.

"The public is tired of unceasing political fights and outrageous slogans. We need more people to do useful work for Hong Kong."

But Tsang said the administration respects the rule of law and will use legal means to solve the challenges.

He said later it is difficult to quantify losses arising from the delay in construction of the bridge but the government could lose as much as HK$2 billion a year in revenue.

He also said assessment reports for another 80 projects may have to be redone, causing further delays.

Tsang's remarks were supported by lawmaker Lau Kong- wah of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, who condemned a party, which he did not name, for "abusing judicial procedures" to delay the construction of infrastructure approved by the Legislative Council.

Civic Party lawmaker Alan Leong Kah-kit said Tsang's remarks show a lack of respect for the rule of law.

"Lawmakers had warned of the legality of the current environmental impact assessment procedures but the government turned a deaf ear," Leong said.

Democratic Party chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan said Tsang's remarks are "extremely regrettable" as they could put pressure on the impartiality of the judicial system.

New People Party chairwoman and former government official Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee said: "There is no way the judicial procedures are being abused."

The administration has appealed against the High Court ruling and estimates construction will be delayed for at least half a year.

hkskyline

May 23rd, 2011, 04:45 PM

Builders fear project politics toll
The Standard
Monday, May 23, 2011

A union for construction workers is calling for an end to the politicizing of construction projects, saying it is putting more than 140,000 jobs at risk.

And to drive their point home, some 30 members of the Hong Kong Construction Industry Employees General Union marched to SAR government headquarters yesterday.

The group said court challenges against environmental impact assessments of various projects are threatening their jobs because of the delays caused. The union claims the 140,000 figure was reached by taking into account the more than 70 projects delayed this year.

These projects include the Hong Kong- Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the MTR's Sha Tin-to-Central Link, and six roads.

"If they really want to do a more comprehensive environmental study, they should have done it much earlier," said Hong Kong Construction Industry Bar-Bending Workers Union chairman Luk Kwan-ngai.

"Having such a study after a project has been announced is just politicking."

Luk said the delays have come at a bad time, as more people have recently shown an interest in joining the industry because of the pay increase announced this year.

Negotiations with employers have resulted in the Bar-Bending Workers Union securing a pay hike that will see members paid HK$1,360 a day by 2013. And with the government announcing it was earmarking HK$49.6 billion for various projects, some 62,500 jobs stood to be created.

But Luk said the project delays have seen employers incur additional costs, making them unwilling to increase wages.

The bar benders' union claims that the need for environmental impact studies is causing delays to HK$112 billion worth of projects.

HKCIEGU chairman Chow Luen-kiu estimated that industry unemployment rates will triple to 18.5 percent in the absence of an improvement in the situation. Chow said it would be difficult for construction workers like bar benders, carpenters and welders to find new jobs because their skills are specific to the industry.

Transport secretary Eva Cheng Yu-wah said on Wednesday she is working with the Environmental Protection Department to improve assessments on the rail project, which is already two years behind schedule.

In April, a wrench was thrown in the works of the bridge project when a 66-year-old Tung Chung woman was allegedly helped by a political party in her successful judicial review of the legality of its EIA report.

hkskyline

June 27th, 2011, 05:26 PM

Tsang a sore loser over bridge delay
25 May 2011
South China Morning Post

Since a High Court judge threw out the environmental impact assessment of key projects for the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge, critics have singled out Civic Party vice-chairman Albert Lai Kwong-tak, a veteran green campaigner, as an opponent of development and integration with the mainland. They have a right to express their opinion. The mainland has already begun building the main span of the bridge, so concerns about a delay on our side are understandable. But it was surprising to hear Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen not only echoing these views, but criticising the decision of opponents to take the matter to court.

Tsang said on Thursday during a question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council that "a certain party and politicians" were using the courts to further their political interests by blocking major projects on environmental grounds and ignoring the interests of Hong Kong.

If the retired Tung Chung resident who applied for the judicial review - with the support of the Civic Party - had lost the case, Tsang's comment would still have been provocative. But the point in this case, surely, is that the Tung Chung resident won. The judge ruled that the director of environmental protection had no power to approve the impact assessment reports in the absence of separate analysis of likely environmental conditions if the projects were not built.

The court would not have accepted the application for a judicial review if it had had no legal merit. Moreover, the application, by a diabetic woman with a heart condition who said that the extra traffic would affect her health, raised issues of public interest. The ruling in her favour shows the challenge was not vexatious.

That said, the multibillion-dollar bridge across the Pearl River estuary might now be delayed for months. We do need to get things done. Indeed, Hong Kong prides itself on a deserved reputation for delivering big infrastructure projects. Tsang says more than 70 other projects now face being held up because of the ruling. But everyone affected by new projects should have access to the law. In this case, the ruling showed the government was not going about it the right way. A flaw in the process has been identified. The risk that many projects may now be held up shows the importance of getting it right.

As chief executive, Tsang should think carefully about making such public statements, especially since the courts have still to hear an appeal by the government against the ruling. He must be careful not to create a perception that the courts might have been influenced by his remarks. His concern with advancing the city's interests by getting things done is understandable. But his comments send the wrong message. Our best interests are served by the rule of law under an independent judiciary. It is, after all, one of the things that sets Hong Kong apart as a place to do business.

hkskyline

August 24th, 2011, 06:47 PM

New route taken on giant bridge appeal
The Standard
Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Highways Department is not required to carry out a separate environmental impact assessment of the likely air quality if the giant Hong Kong- Macau-Zhuhai bridge is not built.

That is the argument the Court of Appeal heard yesterday, after environmental protection director Anissa Wong Sean-yee challenged a Court of First Instance verdict quashing her decision to approve the construction of key elements of the Hong Kong section of the bridge.

Wong's lawyer, senior counsel Benjamin Yu, said the EIA study briefs issued by her do not require the Highways Department, as the project proposer, to conduct such an analysis.

Court vice president Justice Robert Tang Ching then asked if the director could refuse to approve an EIA report if she finds the project's forecast emission levels to be too high.

Yu said the government's technical memorandum on assessments says the director shall - not "may" - approve EIA reports after public inspection and consultation with the Advisory Council on the Environment, if required.

Wong's appeal came after the lower court found in April that impact assessments of two key construction projects were not conducted properly. It ruled in favor of Tung Chung resident Chu Yee-wah, 65, who filed a judicial review saying vehicular pollution on the bridge would worsen her health.

The EIA reports concern boundary- crossing facilities to be built on reclaimed land in waters northeast of Chek Lap Kok and a nearby link road.

Court of First Instance judge Joseph Fok had on April 18 ordered the permits for the two infrastructure works that Wong granted in 2009 to be quashed.

He said the absence in the EIA reports of an analysis of environmental conditions without the project in place means the reports do not comply with a government technical memorandum and the study briefs of the project.

Justice Fok said it is "highly material" for the director and public to know the projected nitrogen dioxide levels with and without the project in place - so the director may determine whether the increases are acceptable.

He added that merely meeting air quality guidelines cannot be the sole determining factor.

The challenge is being heard by Justice Tang, Justice Michael Hartmann and Justice Carlye Chu Fun-ling. The hearing will likely last till tomorrow.

hkskyline

October 11th, 2011, 11:58 AM

Ruling says bridge not too far
The Standard
Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The government has got the go-ahead to build the giant Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge after the Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling quashing the environmental protection director's approval of the project.

Welcoming the decision, Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng Yu-wah said the government will soon seek funding from the Legislative Council. The aim is to start construction by the year-end so the bridge can be open for use in 2016, as scheduled.

Also on the agenda is increased manpower and a revision of work methods to cut work time, though this could add a further HK$6.5 billion to the multi-billion-dollar project.

The ruling means dozens of construction projects earlier put on hold will now likely go through the usual vetting process.

A three-judge bench at the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned the Court of First Instance ruling - passed in April - on a judicial review alleging government failure to conduct proper environmental impact assessments of two key elements of the project.

The review was filed in January last year by Tung Chung resident Chu Yee-wah, 65, a sometime Civic Party volunteer.

Asked yesterday if she will lodge an appeal, Chu said: "I won't get involved in it any longer. I have no intention to stir it up. But they told me about it and I was unclear."

As to who told her to file a review, she said: "Whoever told me to do it, I won't disclose it. I have been fooled. Let it be."

She spoke of being worried earlier that work on the bridge's Hong Kong section would affect the environment, and thus the health of the elderly and children in particular.

But she later felt upset on hearing that many job opportunities would not be created unless the bridge is built.

Her counsel argued that the authorities failed to carry out a "stand-alone" assessment of likely environmental conditions without the proposed Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge.

The boundary-crossing project is to be built on reclaimed land in waters northeast of Chek Lap Kok and a nearby link road.

Court of Appeal vice-president Justice Robert Tang Ching said in the written judgment that neither a government technical memorandum nor the study briefs of the projects required a stand-alone assessment in the EIA reports.

He said they just require the Highways Department, as the project proposer, to conduct an assessment of the cumulative impact.

Tang added: "It is often a question of professional judgment what information is required to be contained in an EIA report [to let environmental protection director Anissa Wong Sean-yee perform her duties]."

The court, he said, cannot interfere unless the director's judgment is unreasonable.

The Environmental Protection Department also welcomed the ruling.

Green groups, meanwhile, urged that the government carry out a strategic environmental assessment on the cumulative impact of projects, including the proposed bridge and expansion of Chek Lap Kok airport.

hkskyline

October 18th, 2011, 02:34 PM

Civic Party told to be upfront over bridge challenge role
The Standard
Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Civic Party has been urged to be upfront about its role in the failed legal challenge to the environmental assessment for the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge.

Accusations have been flying that the party was behind the lawsuit lodged by Tung Chung resident Chu Yee-wah, 65.

The review delayed construction of the bridge for months and could add HK$6.5 billion to the original HK$60 billion project.

The Court of Appeal on Tuesday overturned a lower court ruling quashing the environmental protection director's approval of the project.

Although the party's leader, Alan Leong Kah-kit, stressed on Tuesday that the Civic Party had nothing to do with the lawsuit, Liberal Party vice chairwoman Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee said Leong's party owes Hong Kong people an explanation.

The Liberal Party published a statement in several Chinese-language newspapers today to demand an explanation.

Chow said she is skeptical about the Civic Party's role because Chu is a party volunteer and her solicitor, Alan Wong Hok-ming, is also a party member.

The Civic Party has been giving contradictory replies, Chow claimed.

She said that party vice chairman Albert Lai Kwong-tak said the party has never contacted Chu. But Leong has admitted the party has given her advice.

Chow said the party should not "underestimate the public's wisdom" by not explaining up front.

After losing the lawsuit, Chu gave hints that there was someone behind it.

"I had no intention to stir it up. But they told me about it and I was unclear," she said.

Chow said the Civic Party must explain whether it has received any benefits from the lawsuit.

hkskyline

November 30th, 2011, 06:50 AM

TAC discusses trade licence and progress of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Government Press Release Excerpt

The Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) discussed today (November 29) the Government's proposal to introduce a new form of trade licence to facilitate the re-exporting of left-hand drive (LHD) vehicles via Hong Kong, and the progress of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) project.

**********************************

Members were also briefed on the progress of HZMB-related infrastructure projects in Hong Kong, namely the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities, Hong Kong Link Road, and the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link. The HZMB project is a major cross-boundary transport infrastructure project that has a very important strategic value in further enhancing the economic development of Hong Kong, Macao and the Mainland.

"We note the Government's plan to commence works for the projects as soon as possible, so as to tie in with the commissioning of the HZMB Main Bridge in 2016. Members also noted that the Government had started discussion with the relevant Mainland and Macao authorities on the cross-boundary transport arrangements of the HZMB," said Mr Yuen.

TAC members were also updated on the development of various Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) applications to provide traffic information to the public, as well as for traffic control and enforcement.

"Members were pleased to note that the Transport Department (TD) launched the mobile application and website of the Hong Kong eTransport and the mobile website of the Driving Route Search Service in August 2011 and would develop more mobile applications by 2012 to facilitate the general public's access to more traffic information anytime, anywhere for free," said Mr Yuen.

Members also noted that the TD was implementing a project to erect Speed Map Panels at strategic locations in the New Territories to inform motorists of the traffic conditions ahead. These new initiatives to disseminate more real-time traffic information to motorists will help them make better choice of routes, reduce journey time, and will help achieve the overall traffic management objective. Upon the completion of the Traffic and Incident Management System by 2015, the TD will provide even more real-time traffic and transport information to the public.

lkiller123

December 9th, 2011, 04:57 AM

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has won a HK$6.989bn (£576m) reclamation contract as part of the work for the Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao Bridge (HZMB).

The Construction Index
Nov 30, 2011‎

Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong and Aecom Asia are consultants for the scheme.

The reclamation work is for the Hong Kong boundary crossing facilities for the HZMB. The link will be almost 30km long, including almost 22.8km on bridges.

CHEC’s contract will start straightaway and is expected to complete in early 2016. The work involves reclamation of 150ha at the north east of the Hong Kong International Airport for the construction of artificial island. The project also includes construction of about 6,140m of seawall, which is mainly made up of 134 steel sheet pile cellular structure with diameters of 27m or 31m. More than 19 million cubic metres of backfilled materials will be used to support subsequent superstructure construction. The work will use ground treatment technology to achieve the strength within a short period.

Letting the contract had been delayed following a judicial review in relation to air quality issues in the environmental assessments and permits for this and another scheme. The review has now concluded, allowing work to resume. Bringing the schemes back on track is expected to cost at least an additional HK$6.5bn (£536m), which was approved this month. The additional costs include the use of faster construction methods to make up time.

http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/international-construction-news/hong-kong-lets-576m-reclamation-contract

lkiller123

December 9th, 2011, 06:04 AM

China completes main structure for artificial island on world longest cross-sea bridge

BEIJING, Dec 8 (APP): China has completed the steel structure for a man-made island, which will help link Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai in the world’s longest cross-sea bridge project. The island is part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, a massive project that will span the Pearl River mouth to connect the three cities through bridges and tunnels. The last of 59 gigantic steel pillars was inserted into the sea on Wednesday morning to mark the boundary of the 300,000-square-meter island, which will be completed after sands and rocks fillings, said Yang Zenglin, a spokesman for the project.

Located near the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the island is the eastern one of two artificial islands built for the project, reports Xinhua news agency.
The western island, near Macao Special Administrative Region and Zhuhai, a city in Guangdong province, had its main structure completed in September.
A 6-km underwater tunnel will then be built to link the two islands, while bridges will connect the two islands with the three cities, Yang said.
The project, with a total length of 29.6 km, is estimated to cost 73 billion yuan (11.5 billion U.S. dollars) and is expected to complete by the end of 2016.

lkiller123

December 9th, 2011, 06:54 AM

Bridge funding approved
November 18, 2011
Hong Kong Information Services Department

Secretary for Transport & Housing Eva Cheng today welcomed legislators’ endorsement of $48.5 billion to fund Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge projects.

Speaking to the media after attending a Legislative Council Finance Committee meeting, Ms Cheng said the approval reflects the sentiment of Hong Kong people who do not want to see huge infrastructure projects delayed.

The money will fund Hong Kong boundary crossing facilities, the Hong Kong Link Road as well as the detailed design of Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link.

“For the three funding approvals today we are talking about an addition of 14,000 jobs to be created. We welcome these funding approvals and we will now proceed in earnest,” she said.

“We will start the works before the end of this year. Our target now is to complete these facilities in line with the main bridge completion of 2016."

Although the start of the works has been delayed for a year, Ms Cheng said the administration will catch up on the progress through the compression of programmes, and by implementing additional machinery and manpower.

hkskyline

December 19th, 2011, 07:26 AM

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge infrastructure projects in Hong Kong commenced
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Government Press Release

The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, officiated at the launching ceremony of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF) today (December 14). The launch of the project signifies a significant step toward further economic integration and development among Hong Kong, the Western Pearl River Delta and Macao.

"The HZMB is the first major cross-boundary infrastructure project jointly undertaken by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. With the active participation and involvement of the three governments, a consensus was reached on construction, financing and operation of the project beneficial to all the concerned parties. It is a fine example of co-operation of the three places," Mr Tsang said.

"Upon commissioning, the HZMB will usher in a new era of traffic connections between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The Western Pearl River Delta will fall within a reachable three-hour commuting radius of Hong Kong. This will provide impetus to Hong Kong's long-term economic development and bring new opportunities to various sectors of Hong Kong, including the tourism, financial, trading, commercial and logistics industries."

Implementation of the works of the HZMB in Hong Kong will create many job opportunities. The works that have already obtained funding support from the Legislative Council will create more than 14 000 jobs. The works for the HKBCF commencing today will create about 9 290 jobs, including about 1 410 professional and technical staff and 7 880 labourers.

The HKBCF artificial island, covering some 150 hectares, will be located at the north-eastern waters off Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Being the gateway to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by the HZMB, it will provide efficient and convenient services to inbound and outbound passengers and vehicles.

The HKBCF will be equipped with a comprehensive road system connecting HKIA and Tung Chung New Town, and will also be linked to a strategic road network leading to the Northwest New Territories and other areas of Hong Kong, making the HKBCF a strategic multi-modal transportation hub for Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao.

In addition, to minimise the environmental impact of the reclamation, a non-dredging seawall construction method will be used for the first time in Hong Kong for the HKBCF reclamation works. The method will make it unnecessary to dredge the soft marine mud in the seabed before backfilling. Instead, interlocked large-diameter steel cells, to be backfilled with inert construction and demolition materials, will be sunk, penetrating through the marine mud and resting on the underlying firmer alluvium to form the perimeter seawall. Reclamation works could thus be carried out at the centre.

This innovative reclamation method can avoid large-scale dredging and disposal of marine deposits. As a result, the release of marine suspended solids and disruption to marine traffic will be minimised.

The Chief Executive added that although the HZMB local projects had been delayed by almost a year because of judicial review, the Government would compress the work schedule through adjustment of construction methods and deployment of additional manpower and machinery.

The Government is confident that the works will be completed as scheduled to meet the target of commissioning the HZMB Main Bridge in 2016.

hkskyline

December 23rd, 2011, 06:16 PM

Bridge en route as work starts on new island
The Standard
Thursday, December 15, 2011

The bridge project linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai reached an early milestone yesterday with construction starting on a 150-hectare artificial island near the airport.

The Hong Kong section of the project was delayed for a year by a legal challenge over its environmental impact. The artificial island will be built in the waters northeast of Hong Kong International Airport to house the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities of the 30-kilometer Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said work will be speeded up to ensure the project is completed by 2016. Given the delay, the government will amend construction methods and use additional machinery and manpower.

"Construction of the bridge not only will reduce transportation time and cost for travelers and goods on roads, through its connection, the western Pearl River Delta will fall within a reachable three-hour commuting radius of Hong Kong," Tsang said.

The boundary crossing facilities will be located next to the airport and Tung Chung. It will connect Zhuhai and Macau via the Hong Kong Link Road and main bridge.

Sun Ziyu, president of China Harbour Engineering Co, which is responsible for the reclamation works, said potential challenges include the size of the project and the time to complete the job.

"Because it's near Hong Kong International Airport, we cannot only think about our work, [but] flights, airlines and security are top priorities," Sun said.

A non-dredge seawall construction method is being used to build the island, meaning soft marine mud on the seabed is not removed. So the amount of marine mud to be disposed of is reduced by 97 percent.

The government received the green light in September to build the bridge after the Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling quashing the environmental protection director's approval for the project.

The appeal judges unanimously overturned the Court of First Instance ruling on a judicial review alleging government failure to conduct proper environmental impact assessments of the crossing facilities and the Hong Kong Link Road. The review was filed in January last year by a Tung Chung resident, Chu Yee-wah, 65.

Two months later, legislators approved HK$48.5 billion in funding for the project. The money is used to fund Hong Kong boundary crossing facilities and the Hong Kong Link Road, as well as the detailed design of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link.

A Transport Department spokesman said construction of the Hong Kong Link Road will start early next year. It is a dual three-lane carriageway 12 kilometers long. Macau and Zhuhai have already started work on their sections of the bridge.

skyridgeline

December 30th, 2011, 07:38 AM

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) - Planning and Design
kWFv305l-Fs&feature=plcp&context=C3038a32UDOEgsToPDskIUu-RSDg4UNw1G9kf9bcy8
-Uploaded by awtchk on Dec 22, 2011

skyridgeline

January 12th, 2012, 02:36 PM

American Piledriving Equipment's 8-hammer “Octakong” vibratory pile driver hammer drove the final record breaking pile in front of a crowd of over 200 people on the South China Sea, who came to witness the world's largest pile drive to grade. The last of 120, 72’ diameter steel piles has been driven into place, completing construction of two circular sea bound walls in the South China Sea, for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Seaway project.

- http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=97360 (Tuesday, 10 January 2012)

5vzuJRHusXI

hkskyline

January 26th, 2012, 11:18 AM

LCQ3: Nature Conservation
Government Press Release Excerpt
Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Hok-ming and a reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, in the Legislative Council today (January 18):

Question:

The authorities have already implemented the New Nature Conservation Policy for more than seven years, and only the projects at two sites of conservation value (i.e. Fung Yuen and Long Valley respectively) have been included under the Management Agreement (MA) Scheme so far; and there has not been any case of successful application for the Public-private Partnership (PPP) Pilot Scheme. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(b) as I have learnt that the Advisory Council on the Environment has earlier indicated its support for the Sha Lo Tung project in Tai Po and the Fung Lok Wai development project in Yuen Long under the PPP Pilot Scheme, yet so far there has not been any progress in implementing such projects, of the reasons for that; and

(b) For part (b) of the question, under the PPP scheme, developments of an agreed scale and plan would be allowed at the ecologically less sensitive portions of the 12 priority sites provided that the developer undertakes to conserve and manage the rest of the site that is ecologically more sensitive on a long-term basis. This scheme not only encourages the participation of private sectors and NGOs in nature conservation, but also balances development and conservation.

We have received a total of six applications to carry out PPP project at the 12 priority sites. In 2008, after deliberation the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE) supported the Sha Lo Tung PPP project. The project proponent proposed to set up an Ecological Reserve of over 50 hectares at the Sha Lo Tung valley to conserve the biodiversity there. On the other hand, a columbarium and related facilities of about 5 hectares would be set up at the ecologically less sensitive portion of the Sha Lo Tung valley. Since this is a designated project under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), the project proponent submitted the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on December 30, 2010. Unfortunately, in view of the earlier judicial review relating to the EIAO of the Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macao Bridge (HKZMB), the project proponent withdrew the report on May 16, 2011. Now that the judicial review on the HKZMB has been concluded, it is understood that the project proponent will resubmit the EIA report to the ACE shortly. The project proponent will also apply to the Town Planning Board on land use matters.

hkskyline

January 31st, 2012, 01:31 PM

Pearl River Delta Bridge work begins
15/12/2011 20:42:00
Macau Daily Times

Construction of the delayed RMB 72.9 billion bridge connecting Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai began on Wednesday, after the project was delayed for a year by a legal challenge regarding its environmental impact.

The work will be rushed to meet a 2016 deadline, said Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam Kuen. The HKSAR would catch up on the progress through the compression of programs, and by implementing additional machinery and manpower, he said.

The authorities held a brief launching ceremony on the eastern side of Chek Lap Kok airport. The ceremony marked the beginning of the construction of Hong Kong boundary crossing facilities, the budget of which reaches HKD 30.4 billion.

A 150-hectare artificial island will be built in the waters northeast of Hong Kong International Airport to house the boundary crossing facilities. This is the most important project with the largest investment among the Hong Kong section’s three major projects.

The other two, the Hong Kong Link Road as well as the detailed design of Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link and Tuen Mun Western Bypass, are altogether expected to cost HKD 48.5 billion.

Construction of the Hong Kong section was originally planned to start in late 2010, but was delayed after a retired resident living near the bridge site challenged the government’s decision.

Tsang said the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is strategically important to further facilitate the economic integration and development of the three territories. The project is expected to reduce transportation time by 60 to 80 percent for travellers and goods as well as transportation costs.

Upon completion of the bridge, western Pearl River Delta cities will fall within a three-hour commuting radius of Hong Kong, Tsang said, adding that HKSAR investors will have plenty of business opportunities in the region, rich in human and land resources.

The bridge, with a total length of 29.6 km, will be the world’s longest cross-sea bridge. The authorities of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau will share the cost with the MSAR taking up 12.5 percent of the total.

hkskyline

February 3rd, 2012, 08:25 AM

More delays?
The Standard
Friday, February 03, 2012

The much-delayed bridge being built to link Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai is facing yet another barrier.

Tenders for some sections of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge have come in too high, forcing the government to retender the work.

One of the sections up for retender is a three-kilometer stretch close to a new artificial island, a source said.

Extensive works on that stretch include constructing ground sections and tunnels.

Hong Kong's part of the massive bridge measures 12 kilometers and is estimated to cost around HK$16.2 billion.

Construction was initially set to begin early this year.

The source did not reveal how much the tenders were above original estimates, only that they "exceeded acceptable levels."

After reviewing the tender details, the government found there was room for adjustment.

The retender procedure could start as early as today and is expected to be completed by the end of next month.

Authorities will urge a number of contractors who have already submitted tenders to modify the content and submit new ones. If prices remain higher than estimates, the government may have to go back to the Legislative Council to ask for more funding.

Construction of the Hong Kong section was delayed for a year due to a judicial review brought by elderly Tung Chung resident Chu Yee-wah.

She filed the review last January, citing insufficient assessments of the environmental impact.

"Based on the content of the tender documents, the adverse impact caused by the judicial review is more obvious," the source said.

"The clock is ticking and we cannot delay construction.

"But with the delay caused by the court case, contractors have added the possible increased costs of labor, working hours and machines to their final tender prices."

Construction of the Macau and Zhuhai sections of the main bridge ports started in late 2009.

That forced Hong Kong authorities to boost manpower, working hours and machinery as well as construction points in an effort to ensure the bridge opens as planned by 2016.

But that attempt to catch up has already sent the cost of the Hong Kong section soaring drastically by HK$6.5 billion to HK$48.5 billion.

hkskyline

February 23rd, 2012, 05:34 PM

Qingdao's marine projects win national awards
2012-02-22
China Daily

Qingdao was involved in 14 science and technology awards at a high-profile annual ceremony held in Beijing, to honor excellent scientists and research achievements on Feb 14. Qingdao brought home more awards than any other city in Shandong province.

Qingdao's marine projects stood out in all 14 awards. The project for key technologies and applications for the testing of oceanographic instruments and working foundation platforms was awarded the second-grade National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology. The project was led by Dr. Wu Dexing, president of the Ocean University of China (OUC).

The Qingdao-based OUC has won national science and technology awards for six consecutive years.

The world's longest cross-sea bridge, Jiaozhou Bay Bridge that opened last July, was on the list of the second-grade "National Technological Invention Award". This award is related to the technology of underwater concrete boxed cofferdam without bottoms. These not only saved 160 million yuan ($25.44 million) for the project, but also shortened the construction period.

Furthermore, the core part of this advanced technology has been applied in the world's largest "Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge" project, according to a local report.

Haier Group won the first prize for "Enterprise Technological Innovation Project", showing that enterprises in Qingdao have made great breakthroughs in research.

The team led by academician Xie Lixin, who created a new theory and technical application for the deadly infectious keratitis, was honored as another second-grade "National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology" for Qingdao city.

Haowen Wong

February 23rd, 2012, 09:18 PM

hkskyline

February 26th, 2012, 01:00 PM

The construction for the artificial islands on the Hhttp://www.bing.com/images/search?q=hong+Kong+Macau+Zhuhai+bridge+construction&view=detail&id=AC5CFF05A37DCB8A726162B154045EC31FF8D882&first=61&FORM=IDFRIR&adlt=strictong Kong side has commenced construction as of December 2011:

I saw a few man-made reclaimed islands between Hong Kong and Macau in the air last month. I suppose those are on the Macau side?

hala

March 4th, 2012, 02:16 PM

Hong Kong side artificial Island on Mar 03, 2011

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o312/carylam/IMG_2852.jpg

gramercy

March 6th, 2012, 10:18 AM

khoojyh

March 6th, 2012, 05:28 PM

The thread started on year 2005. By the time finish construction, this thread will be here for atleast 15 years.... Wow...

shree711

March 7th, 2012, 04:45 AM

shree711

March 7th, 2012, 04:46 AM

hkskyline

March 7th, 2012, 04:57 AM

I have a query:

Will cars from Hong Kong need another licence plate to go to Macau or will they be let in with their Hong Kong licence plates, because if a car from Hong Kong wants to go to China, they must get chinese licence plates alongside Hong Kong ones.
Right now, cars entering Guangdong need a mainland license plate, and I don't think that will change any time soon. The Macau case is more interesting as it is not a common practice now and I'm not sure how that will work. I doubt Hong Kong plates can just enter Macau or vice versa though.

khoojyh

March 7th, 2012, 07:38 AM

Macau terorrity is much more smaller if compared to HK, they able to handle such traffic flow once the bridge is complete?

hkskyline

March 7th, 2012, 08:33 AM

Macau terorrity is much more smaller if compared to HK, they able to handle such traffic flow once the bridge is complete?

I doubt Hong Kongers would be interested in driving to Macau at all. Parking is a huge issue and the roads simply cannot accomodate so many tourists' vehicles. I envision a very frequent bus service from all parts of Hong Kong to a central drop-off point in Macau, or even their casino buses operating services into Hong Kong.

Since the bridge was primarily designed for goods traffic from the western delta, I believe the heavy users would be trucks coming from Zhuhai.

shree711

March 7th, 2012, 05:43 PM

Right now, cars entering Guangdong need a mainland license plate, and I don't think that will change any time soon. The Macau case is more interesting as it is not a common practice now and I'm not sure how that will work. I doubt Hong Kong plates can just enter Macau or vice versa though.

Why not? It is this way in europe and you don't even need passports to go to Macao.

khoojyh

March 7th, 2012, 06:45 PM

I doubt Hong Kongers would be interested in driving to Macau at all. Parking is a huge issue and the roads simply cannot accomodate so many tourists' vehicles. I envision a very frequent bus service from all parts of Hong Kong to a central drop-off point in Macau, or even their casino buses operating services into Hong Kong.

Since the bridge was primarily designed for goods traffic from the western delta, I believe the heavy users would be trucks coming from Zhuhai.

Mainland car is free to enter HK?

shree711

March 7th, 2012, 11:40 PM

Mainland car is free to enter HK?

No, they need a Hong Kong plate.

hkskyline

March 8th, 2012, 02:42 AM

Why not? It is this way in europe and you don't even need passports to go to Macao.

Well, the Europe model is not what the Pearl River Delta region will adopt any time soon. You technically don't need a passport to enter Macau. HK ID's will suffice although foreigners will still need to show their passports.

khoojyh

March 8th, 2012, 09:43 AM

No, they need a Hong Kong plate.

You mean number plate?

shree711

March 8th, 2012, 04:28 PM

You mean number plate?

Yes.

khoojyh

March 8th, 2012, 07:31 PM

Yes.

The number plate will be fix for only a car or the mainland car owner have return the number once leave HK?

shree711

March 8th, 2012, 11:33 PM

The number plate will be fix for only a car or the mainland car owner have return the number once leave HK?

The mainland cars have number plates fixed to them.

hkskyline

March 9th, 2012, 07:05 AM

Typically, both plates are fixed to the vehicle. There is no requirement to remove anything upon crossing the border.

khoojyh

March 9th, 2012, 05:14 PM

Hmm, ok. Thanks for the information.

khoojyh

March 9th, 2012, 05:28 PM

Actually the bridge never stop or touch down in any Macau territory, it's stop somewhere in Zhuhai where it very near to Macau. Correct me if I am wrong.

hkskyline

March 9th, 2012, 05:34 PM

Actually the bridge never stop or touch down in any Macau territory, it's stop somewhere in Zhuhai where it very near to Macau. Correct me if I am wrong.

Think it does - but on a new reclaimed island :

http://www.thb.gov.hk/eng/policy/transport/issues/img/cbt_3_200810291.jpg

khoojyh

March 9th, 2012, 07:23 PM

Wow, thank you so much, this is fixed route?

shree711

March 10th, 2012, 04:43 PM

Wow, thank you so much, this is fixed route?

Yes. They are building it now.

skyridgeline

March 11th, 2012, 06:38 PM

it still strikes me as odd that here they will build a 40+ km bridge for road instead of rail

in the above video the engineer seems quite evasive about the question
im sure they considered a rail-only link, but somehow they dismissed it
a channel tunnel like link would have been better imho

still awesome

Like he said, the additional capability to handle rail loads (implied high speed) will cost a lot more. Remember, this is Hong Kong and Macau!

Of course he was uncomfortable answering the bridge question ... most people from Hong Kong, Macau and China don't drive. However, they will make do with express "buses" and "taxi" (actually quite common pratice in the area I believe).

A channel tunnel! :lol: It will be over budget by on top of a much bigger budget ... not cool. And I think for the government of China, this bridge link is not considered strategically important.

hkskyline

March 14th, 2012, 05:59 PM

New techniques for Delta Bridge
14/03/2012 10:24:00
Macau Daily Times

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (Delta Bridge) will use a new form of pillar in its construction, to be used for the first time in China. According to Mainland media China News, the technique to be employed is called a “compound steel pipe pillar”, which has the advantages of saving costs while providing extra support to the main body of the construction. The report said it would be the first time this material and skill were employed in China.

The report also quoted Zhuhai municipal sources as saying that successful testing had been conducted on the pillars, paving the way for its practical use in the construction. The bridge stretching three cities will total almost 50 kilometers in length, becoming the longest sea bridge in the world.

Zhuhai Communist Party Secretary Li Jia said last week in Beijing, that he expected the whole project to be finished by 2016. Currently, workers are constructing the reclamation island, where the Macau-Zhuhai section of the bridge will set its foot on. The report says after laying the foundation for the man-made island in April, the construction will enter the most difficult stage, which is the building of a cross-harbor tunnel.

hkskyline

March 15th, 2012, 02:41 PM

Macau-Guangdong to build new border crossing
07/03/2012 10:26:00
Macau Daily Times

Macau and Guangdong are planning a new border crossing point to channel the growing number of travelers away from the Barrier Gate. Both sides have reached preliminary consensus but the location and completion of the new checkpoint is yet to be finalized.

According to TDM and the Government Information Bureau, the Chief Executive Chui Sai On raised the proposal during his meeting with Guangdong provincial leaders on the sidelines of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing.

Chui said the rapidly growing number of travelers between the two sides had put tremendous pressure on the Barrier Gate (or Gongbei Port on the mainland’s side), which saw 94 million travelers last year to and from Macau and Zhuhai. The number is expected to continue climbing in the coming year and Chui said a new passage is very important to Macau’s economic development as the Barrier Gate is already overburdened.

The two sides reached initial consensus on the need for an additional crossing and agreed to further study the practical arrangements, including location and operational hours. But Tam Chon Weng, head of the Office of the Chief Executive told media that the new crossing point will likely have longer open hours than the Barrier Gate, which operates from 7am - midnight.

Numerous proposals have been raised by social groups and individuals in recent years for alleviating the burden on the Barrier Gate and for better handling the number of travelers from Mainland. They include longer opening hours, and to adopt a single-way immigration checking like that used in the European Union, which required a document check-up by the immigration department of the destination, rather than by both the destination and the place of departure, as currently practiced in the Barrier Gate.

Chui also discussed Hengqin’s development progress with Guangdong officials. Zhuihai mayor Li Jia was quoted as saying that significant results would be seen within this year on various projects in the new zone, including the industrial park for Chinese Medicine, the new Macau University campus and relevant infrastructures. Li also mentioned the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, saying the three sides were co-operating closely on the cross-border project and he was confident the bridge would be finished by 2016, providing an extra impetus for the economic advancement for the three places and the Pear River Delta region as a whole. The bridge will be connected to the Hengqin development zone by a secondary bridge.

Bai Zhijian, director of the Chinese Liaison Office in Macau was quoted as saying the fact that the Hengqin development project was included in Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s working report showed Beijing’s resolved intention to make use of the new zone to help Macau achieve its diversification of its economic structure, which is currently heavily reliant on gaming industry. He stressed the new zone would provide a precious opportunity for Macau’s development. He is also in Beijing for the CPPCC meeting.

Ervin2

March 16th, 2012, 05:15 PM

it still strikes me as odd that here they will build a 40+ km bridge for road instead of rail

in the above video the engineer seems quite evasive about the question
im sure they considered a rail-only link, but somehow they dismissed it
a channel tunnel like link would have been better imho

still awesome
Hong Kong and Macau are both highly reliant on buses, and there isn't nearly enough demand for rail between the two anyway. Also rail transport would take up a ton of space for the tracks and stations and so on in a place that's very limited in space, especially in Macau. Meanwhile buses are very versatile with destinations. It takes a massive amount of demand to justify a rail service.

khoojyh

March 21st, 2012, 07:18 PM

Hong Kong and Macau are both highly reliant on buses, and there isn't nearly enough demand for rail between the two anyway. Also rail transport would take up a ton of space for the tracks and stations and so on in a place that's very limited in space, especially in Macau. Meanwhile buses are very versatile with destinations. It takes a massive amount of demand to justify a rail service.

Ask more land from Beijing...:cheers:

hkskyline

April 20th, 2012, 05:37 AM

Cost of link road to bridge climbs by $25b
The Standard
Friday, April 20, 2012

The cost of the 12-kilometer link road to the massive Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge has swelled by 50 percent to HK$25 billion.

Sources told Sing Tao Daily, sister newspaper of The Standard, that if the project is delayed further, the costs will increase even more.

The government also confirmed it will re-tender a 3km stretch, which will include constructing ground sections and tunnels, after tenders it received were too high.

The source said bidding prices will be lowered but did not say by how much or the date of the re- tendering exercise.

The HK$83 billion bridge across the Pearl River Delta is being built jointly by Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong section will cost at least HK$48.5 billion and includes a 12km link road to the main bridge at the edge of Hong Kong's territorial waters. The original estimate was HK$16.2 billion.

The government will seek the Finance Committee's approval for the additional HK$8.8 billion next Friday, the source said. A paper will also be discussed at the Legislative Council transport panel meeting on Wednesday.

Of the additional billions, HK$3.27 billion was the result of the cost of construction machines and workers' salaries going up due to inflation.

The cost of renting a cargo ship, to transport construction materials to build the artificial island, has gone up 30 percent, the source added.

Another HK$3.44 billion is required to pay for extra staff, technology and equipment needed to make up for lost construction time after a legal challenge stalled the project's progress for nearly a year.

The bridge project is designed to be a major artery for cargo and passengers between the southwestern provinces and Hong Kong.

Following approval by the central government in 2008, construction began in Zhuhai and Macau in 2009.

Hong Kong, however, has lagged seriously due to various challenges by environmentalists.

Work on the main bridge section began only in December, although officials pledged to speed up the project so the whole bridge could open on time.

Construction of the Macau and Zhuhai sections of the main bridge ports started in late 2009, and that forced the Hong Kong authorities to boost manpower, working hours and machinery as well as construction points in an effort to ensure the bridge opens as planned by 2016.

"If additional funds cannot be approved next week and accordingly construction is delayed after June, I would have no confidence that the bridge will be done by 2016," the source added.

hkskyline

April 26th, 2012, 04:06 AM

Panel approves extra $8.8b for bridge link road
The Standard
Thursday, April 26, 2012

Lawmakers on the Legislative Council's transport panel yesterday approved a government request for an extra HK$8.8 billion for a road project linked to the Hong Kong- Zhuhai-Macau bridge.

The request will now be passed to the Legco Finance Committee's public works subcommittee for discussion on May 7.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng Yu-wah told the panel meeting the government needs the extra funding for the 12-kilometer Hong Kong Link Road as the delay caused by a judicial review against its environmental impact assessment has caused costs to escalate on top of higher-than- expected risk assessment costs.

She said HK$3.27 billion will go to the increase in the cost of construction materials while HK$3.44 billion will go to the risk assessment adjustment.

The increase in provision for price adjustment and for emergencies makes up HK$670 million and HK$1.48 billion respectively.

"The later the construction begins, the higher the construction cost will be," Cheng said. The extra funding will push the total cost of the dual-carriageway, three-lane road to HK$25 billion.

Cheng said the construction costs will continue to soar if the funding is not approved, though she could not put a figure on how much more money will be needed per month of delay. "One thing for sure is the economic loss per year of delay will be 2.2 billion yuan [HK$2.7 billion] for Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai," Cheng said.

Should the committee give the go-ahead, construction may begin in the middle of the year and be finished by the end of 2016.

But it could have been completed nine months earlier had the Tung Chung resident Chu Yee-wah, 65, not filed the judicial review.

The Civic Party, which assisted Chu in the review, came under fire at yesterday's meeting for adding HK$8.8 billion to the price tag of the project.

Lawmaker Wong Kwok-kin of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions claimed that if the money had been used instead to stabilize MTR fares, there would be no increases for about 50 years. If used to give free tram rides to the elderly and disabled, they could travel without charge for about 100 years.

Liberal Party chairwoman Miriam Lau Kin-yee also said the HK$8.8 billion could have been put to better use. "The public is shocked at having to pay HK$8.8 billion more," Lau said. "It is not justified that the taxpayers have to pay for this."

But Civic Party legislator Audrey Eu Yuet-mee denied it was the party that filed for the review. Party member Alan Leong Kah-kit, acting as an individual, merely helped file it.