Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Mega-Bridge Project

[hkskyline]

San Shek Wan top choice for mega bridge's landing point
Dennis Chong, Hong Kong Standard
January 12, 2005

Map (http://www.etwb.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/whats_new/Whats%20New%20PWSC%20Encl%202.jpg)

San Shek Wan on Lantau Island is the best starting point for a proposed bridge linking Hong Kong with Zhuhai and Macau, Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang said.

"Our feasibility study shows that San Shek Wan is the only place in terms of environmental protection and economic effectiveness," Tsang said.

"It is also compatible with the long-term development of Hong Kong," he said, adding that the final route and the landing points in Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai for the bridge - which is expected to cost around HK$15 billion by the time it is finished - have yet to be decided.

San Shek Wan lies immediately south of Hong Kong International Airport.

Tsang was speaking after the fourth Working Meeting of Hong Kong and Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference in Guangzhou.

Tang Bingquan, executive vice-governor of Guangdong province who co-chaired the meeting with Tsang, said there were several construction issues that needed resolving.

"One major concern is the environment with many people expressing concern about the Chinese white dolphin which lives in these waters," he said.

Green groups have criticised the government for not allocating funds to research the impact of the bridge on the endangered dolphins.

Tang said a committee set up to plan the bridge has shortlisted two routes but he refused to reveal further details, adding that a final decision will be made soon. The super bridge is expected to handle about 20,000 vehicles each day and will be the fifth cross-boundary link between the mainland and the SAR once it is built.

About 12 kilometers of the bridge will be in Hong Kong waters.

This section will connect to the 30-kilometer portion in mainland waters across the mouth of the Pearl River from Macau and Zhuhai.

Hopewell Holdings chairman Gordon Wu, one of the strongest supporters of the proposal, said earlier the bridge is likely to be completed by 2008.

[Qwertyuiop]

I think I've seen renderings for the bridge, but I don't remember where...

And I think in the renderings, the bridge is going to be made up of mostly dull causeway spans. Kinda disappointing, I say if you're going to build a bridge that long, design something resembling the Gibraltar Strait Bridge or bury the bloody thing in a tunnel! :)

http://idol.union.edu/~ferrerf/project/image011.jpg

[Insane alex]

Very cool Hkskyline! :)

[metallinestorm]

a very big bridge

[scorpion]

this project holds great potential long-term for pearl river delta further unification...

:cool:

[hkskyline]

The bridge does a lot for all the cities involved. For Macau, it provides a new source for tourists and encourage regional tourism. Visitors to Hong Kong can easily take a bus to Macau for some gambling. For Hong Kong, Macau's airport will become a major competitor, but at the same time, goods from the western Pearl River Delta (ie. Zhuhai and beyond) can now easily reach Hong Kong for export, benefiting the container port.

[Insane alex]

Do you have renders of this bridge project?

[philip]

Well, this is going to be one "HUGE" bridge !

[hktreasure]

anybody have more pics? It is useful for my project~^_<

[bs_lover_boy]

The only renders that I saw were on the TVB news and It was like a causeway, which I detest so much. I rather have them build a Gibraltar Bridge there.

[Aboveday]

http://www.warringstates.com.hk/images/bridge02.jpg

[xePh3roK]

Hopewell Holdings chairman Gordon Wu, one of the strongest supporters of the proposal, said earlier the bridge is likely to be completed by 2008.

Is this a joke?
that would be impossible by 2008!!
maybe in 2020

How they want to build about 40-50x 800m high towers for the mega bridge?
From where i've the information?
A good friend of me is an Architecture and interessted on bridges and he tolt me some details about it.

And from where do they want to get the steels for the mega bridge?

[Qwertyuiop]

Here's a rendering taken from Time Magazine www.time.com

http://a740.g.akamai.net/f/740/606/1d/image.pathfinder.com/time/asia/covers/501040705/popup/images/bridge.jpg

And these are taken from www.saveourshoreline.com

http://www.saveourshorelines.bizland.com/images/News_bigbridgegraphic29_07b.jpg

The website itself also has a bunch of articles pertaining to the bridge (looks like they're all from 2003 though):

http://www.saveourshorelines.bizland.com/project03.html

Enjoy!

[scorpion]

interesting to note where the main navigation channel(s) are for the PRD...

[bs_lover_boy]

I don't like that design because it will just be a causeway and look ugly

[Syd-Hk]

its in a tpyoon area, it better be well designed or else...

[hkskyline]

Open tender best option for bridge project
Chloe Lai and Quinton Chan
03 February 2005
South China Morning Post

An open tender would be the best and fairest way to determine the most qualified contractor for the proposed bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau, according to Hopewell chairman Sir Gordon Wu Ying-sheung, one of the project's foremost advocates.

He said the tender process would be fair as it involves three governments.

"It will be difficult for anyone to manipulate a process which involves three governments. If I lose, it must be because they get someone smarter than me. If that is the case, I have no hard feelings," he said.

Sir Gordon has been advocating the bridge since the late 1990s. He believes he will win the contract because of his knowledge of highway bridge construction and operation.

He said that some engineers from the National Development and Reform Commission visited him last week to seek his views on the bridge and he told them that an open tender had to be conducted.

He is in favour of a single Y-shaped bridge built between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau.

He said the bridge's Hong Kong entrance would be at San Shek Wan on Lantau and its Zhuhai entrance would be near the Gongbei checkpoint. Its Macau entrance would be at Perola on the northeast side of the Macau peninsula.

In July 2003, Premier Wen Jiabao gave his backing to a bridge between Hong Kong and the west side of the Pearl River Delta.

Sir Gordon estimates the State Council will approve the project to start in six months, with completion in 2009 to mark Macau's 10th handover anniversary.

Under his proposal, only one checkpoint would be needed for cross-border drivers. All immigration officers would be based there together.

He also proposes to turn part of the bridge into a tunnel so it will be safe from typhoons and terrorist attacks.

"With the bridge and the existing roads in Guangxi , it will take just eight hours for Hong Kong people to reach Vietnam by car," Sir Gordon said.

[bs_lover_boy]

^ Only 8 hours to go to Vietnam!!!! That's Amazing, so does it mean that a person from HK can drive like around 10 Hours to go to Hanoi?

[philip]

I have a question. Do people in Macau or Zhuhai drive on the left? Right now most cars from Hong Kong cannot drive past the city of Shenzhen because Hong Kong drive on the left and China drive on the right. So in the city of Shenzhen you can actualy see two types of cars and sometimes it is quite confusing. I wonder if the same thing will happen to Macau?

http://resources.emb.gov.hk/envir-ed/hkissue/images/taxi.jpg

[simhks]

Macau drives on the left, Zhuhai on the right...
Most cars can't pass thru the border because they don't have the licence for the car.

In Hong Kong, I can see some cars with 2 licences (mainland and hk). They should be able to go across the border. For Macau, I don't know if we need a third one XDDD.

Well, at least for now, we can visit Macau just on our HK Identity card and don't need anything else, its just an hour comfortable ferry ride, very convenient.

[-(･∀･)-(^｡^)-]

／( ^｡^)／ GOOD ＼(^｡^)＼

[Fabio]

wowow

really great project, and this kind of bridge is really becaming more commum (bridge/tunnel).

:okay:

[ShayPlan]

Is the channel wide enough for the amount of sea traffic.

[Q-TIP]

Is the channel wide enough for the amount of sea traffic.

Plans are indicative only. Subject to change. The Pearl River Delta is one of (if the busiest) seaway in the world, and any plan to build such a project must do so with the least possible impact on shipping.

And the channel is wide enough, but remember that 12 kilometres or so is tunnel.

[hkskyline]

China going ahead with huge bridge to HK, Macau

BEIJING, March 8 (Reuters) - China has given the green light to link Hong Kong to Macau and the mainland with a multi-billion-dollar road bridge, the China Daily said on Tuesday.

Promoters of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge have proposed an enormous structure stretching 29 km (18 miles).

The newspaper said it would directly connect Hong Kong and Macau to booming ports in southern China's Pearl River Delta region. Private investment would be allowed to have a "primary role" in funding the 31.5 billion yuan ($3.8 billion) project.

"We are going to make a big breakthrough in infrastructure cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland," Ma Kai, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, was quoted as saying during the ongoing session of China's parliament.

Ma said government leaders had approved the bridge during talks with Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's chief executive rumoured to be ready to quit his post.

Authorities in Hong Kong, Macau and the southern Chinese city Guangdong had all agreed to let the private sector put up much of the funding for the over-water highway, Sarah Liao, secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works of Hong Kong, was quoted as saying.

The bridge would halve the current 60 km (37 mile) trip from Hong Kong to Macau or the major southern port of Zhuhai to make travel possible in less than half an hour, the newspaper said.

Ma said a feasibilty report on the bridge had been completed but did not specify when construction would begin. Since China and Hong Kong signed a Closer Economic Partnership Agreement, Hong Kong's exports to the mainland have grown, fueled by reduced tariffs and easier transport.

"The bridge will promote the socio-economic development of Pearl River West (region), promote the development of tourism industries and perfect the regional transport network," Liao was quoted as saying. ($1=8.276 yuan).

[scorpion]

HK --> Macau in less than 1/2 an hour...


:D

[superskyline]

wow! I think the design is awesome! VERY HUGE!
like the under water tunnel which will allow big ships to easily pass through!
niiice

[timothy_tw]

Macau drives on the left, Zhuhai on the right...
Most cars can't pass thru the border because they don't have the licence for the car.

In Hong Kong, I can see some cars with 2 licences (mainland and hk). They should be able to go across the border. For Macau, I don't know if we need a third one XDDD.

Well, at least for now, we can visit Macau just on our HK Identity card and don't need anything else, its just an hour comfortable ferry ride, very convenient.
For macau, they do the exact same thing as Hong Kong. if u wanna drive in mainland china, u hv to apply for a Chinese licences.

[timothy_tw]

and remember when HK start building the airport, ppl said is not going to be completed by 2010, but guest wt, it opens in 1998....

[hkskyline]

Wu's bridge not too far as Ho, Sun Hung Kai sign up
Cannix Yau, Hong Kong Standard
March 21, 2005

Hopewell Holdings' Gordon Wu, a foremost advocate of a mega-bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau, will team up with Sun Hung Kai Properties and casino tycoon Stanley Ho's Shun Tak Holdings to bid for the HK$30 billion project when an open tender is called in a few months' time, a source close to the deal said.

The three conglomerates will form a joint venture with a state-owned company under the Transport Bureau of Guangdong Province to bid for the project with financing support from the Bank of China, the source said.

The amount of financing is still unknown.

Mainland authorities have ann-ounced the project's feasibility study, which began early last year, is finished and its construction plan will be finalized after a final meeting in April by the three governments.

After the final plan is approved by the State Council, the project is expected to be opened for bids in a few months.

Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao said the private sector will play a primary role in constructing the bridge under a build-operate-transfer plan, which will cost about 31.5 billion yuan (HK$29.7 billion).

According to Minister of National Development and Reform Commission Ma Kai, Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong have entered into a consensus allowing the private sector to fund the giant project.

San Shek Wan, a remote village on the relatively unspoilt northwest coast of Lantau, adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport, will be the starting point for the bridge which will be built in a single ``Y'' shape, with each forked end joining Macau and Zhuhai.

The super bridge is expected to handle about 20,000 vehicles a day and will be the fifth border crossing between the mainland and the SAR.

About 12 kilometers of the bridge will be in Hong Kong waters. This section will connect to the 30-kilometer portion in mainland waters across the mouth of the Pearl River from Macau and Zhuhai.

It will shorten the distance from Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai to 30 kilometers, and reduce the journey time to well within half an hour. The current distance from Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai is about 60 kilometers.

The project is expected to be completed by 2009.

Wu, who launched a concerted campaign two years ago to develop the bridge, has expressed confidence he will win the bid.

Hopewell's plans show a combined tunnel and bridge similar to the Chesapeake Bay bridge in the United States or the Tokyo Bay bridge in Japan. The proposed bridge is not without its critics, however, who claim that it will be a blight on Lantau where traffic will substantially worsen the already heavy air pollution in Tung Chung and other areas along the island's northern shore.

Other critics question the economics of building such an expensive piece of infrastructure in the relatively lightly populated western region of the Pearl River Delta.

They fear it will become another expensive white elephant in a region that already enjoys modern but greatly under-utilized transport infrastructure.

The parties most likely to profit from the project are the developers, the critics say.

[hkskyline]

Private sector eyed for delta bridge
Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong could set up a corporation to solicit tenders for building the link to Zhuhai
Elaine Wu and Gary Cheung
21 March 2005
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong are likely to form a corporation to solicit tenders from the private sector to build the proposed bridge linking Zhuhai and the two special administrative regions.

A Hong Kong government source said a public-private partnership model would probably be adopted for the construction and operation of the proposed bridge. "One possibility is for the three governments to form a corporation which then solicits for a bid from the private sector to build the project," the source said.

The source said the government was considering building as few of the bridge's foundations as possible close to the Hong Kong coast to minimise any adverse impact on the Chinese white dolphins and their natural habitat.

The China Daily reported early this month that a feasibility report had been completed for the project, which is estimated to cost US$3.8 billion. No date was given for when construction of the link would begin.

The newspaper quoted Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung as saying that the private sector would fund the bridge.

Meanwhile, former Zhuhai party secretary Liang Guangda said he hoped construction of the cross-delta bridge could start next year.

"I'm confident that the bridge would be completed by 2008, a year before the 10th anniversary of the resumption of Macau's sovereignty by the motherland," he told the South China Morning Post.

Mr Liang spearheaded the Lingdingyang bridge proposal, which envisaged linking Zhuhai and Tuen Mun, from 1988 until the project was shelved in 1997.

"I have been longing for the completion of the bridge for 19 years," he said.

Mr Liang said the cross-delta bridge should land at Hengqin island , an outlying Zhuhai island west of Macau.

He said Hengqin was linked with several national highway networks, including the coastal highway from Heilongjiang to Hainan and the Taiyuan-Macau superhighway.

Zhuhai and Guangdong officials have said also that they would prefer the bridge to extend to Hengqin Island.

But the Hong Kong government, which has proposed starting the bridge at Sha Lo Wan or San Shek Wan in Lantau, favours a bridge landing at the Gongbei crossing between Zhuhai and Macau.

"If the bridge lands at Gongbei, it would bring a huge flow of people and traffic to Gongbei which is already the country's second busiest land crossing," Mr Liang said.

Mr Liang, also a Guangdong deputy to the National People's Congress, said drivers would only have to travel a few extra kilometres from Hengqin to cities north of Zhuhai, compared with a landing at Gongbei. But he said he would support whatever landing point was chosen by experts responsible for a feasibility study on the cross-delta bridge, commissioned by a nine-member taskforce of representatives from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.

[raymond_tung88]

Macau drives on the left, Zhuhai on the right...
Most cars can't pass thru the border because they don't have the licence for the car.

In Hong Kong, I can see some cars with 2 licences (mainland and hk). They should be able to go across the border. For Macau, I don't know if we need a third one XDDD.

Well, at least for now, we can visit Macau just on our HK Identity card and don't need anything else, its just an hour comfortable ferry ride, very convenient.

Wait a minute, Macau drives on the left (like in China, continental Europe, and North America) while Zhuhai drives on the right (like in HK, Britain, Japan)? That's really weird and messed up. I always thought Zhuhai would drive the same way China would seeing how is FULLY is part of the PRC.

[hkskyline]

Landing sites agreed for cross-delta bridge link
Chandra Wong
03 April 2005
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong and mainland officials and experts have agreed on the landing sites for the proposed Pearl River Delta bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai - Gongbei in Zhuhai and Perola in Macau.

Their recommendation, which will now be forwarded to the State Council for approval, is sure to please the Hong Kong side. It had advocated the Gongbei-Perola routes, while the Zhuhai and Guangdong authorities wanted landfalls on Hengqin Island in Zhuhai and at Pac On in Macau.

Hong Kong Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung said the decision was the consensus view of the 100-strong group, which met for two days behind closed doors in Zhuhai.

The group comprised officials and experts from Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangdong and Macau.

The recommended single Y-shaped bridge-tunnel link would run from Hong Kong to the mainland coast near the Gongbei land crossing, where it would divide to provide separate access to Zhuhai and Macau.

The proposed alignment would lower construction costs and shorten construction time despite the drawback of heavy congestion at Gongbei checkpoint, which has limited space for expansion.

The 28km cross-delta link, estimated to cost US$3.8 billion, could be opened to traffic by 2010 and would make Zhuhai and Macau a 30-minute drive from Hong Kong.

"Experts have recommended the northern bridge-cum-tunnel alignment proposal," Dr Liao said. "The eastern landing point [in Hong Kong] is at San Shek Wan on Lantau. The western landing points will be at Gongbei in Zhuhai and Perola in Macau. This recommendation will need the approval from the State Council."

Guangdong Development and Reform Commission director-general Chen Shanru said construction on the link could start as early as this year.

The group would discuss funding issues once the recommendation is approved.

The Hong Kong government has said that a public-private partnership model may be adopted in funding the construction and operation of the cross-delta link.

[Arpels]

:eek:

[hkskyline]

Delta link bidding expected in months
Eric Ng and Denise Tsang
04 April 2005
South China Morning Post

International bidding for the US$3.8 billion Pearl River Delta bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai is expected within months under a tight planning schedule that aims for building to start before the end of the year.

The bridge could be completed by 2010, Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung said yesterday. "The central government wants to speed up the realisation of the proposed bridge. Ideally, construction will start at the end of this year or early next year."

The project would be put out to international tender after approval by the central government, Ms Liao said.

The Hong Kong government has said that a public-private partnership model may be adopted to fund the project.

Hopewell Highway Infrastructure (HHI), spun-off on the mainboard from construction and toll-road group Hopewell Holdings in 2003, is a strong proponent and front-runner for the project.

With $2 billion on hand, HHI managing director Thomas Jefferson Wu said last month the firm had sufficient resources to build the second phase of the Western Delta project, widening the Guangzhou-Shenzhen superhighway and possibly investing in the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project.

Cheung Kong Infrastructure had said in 2003 it was interested in taking a stake in the bridge project. That year, HHI chairman Sir Gordon Wu Ying-sheung said the firm would want to take a 50 per cent stake in the project - a personal brainchild - by contributing $2.5 billion. This would amount to 50 per cent of the equity funding, assuming 66 per cent of the estimated $15 billion construction cost would be raised through bank loans.

The 28km bridge would connect with HHI's toll roads - the 122.8km Guangzhou-Shenzhen Superhighway, the 38km Guangzhou east-southwest ring road and the proposed 56.7km Guangzhou-Zhuhai superhighway - in a loop network at the heart of the Pearl River Delta.

A 100-member group, comprising officials and experts from Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangdong and Macau, agreed at the weekend on the landing sites - San Shek Wan on Lantau, Perola in Macau and Gongbei in Zhuhai.

The bridge would cut travel between Hong Kong and Macau to about 30 minutes.

[hkskyline]

A bridge 22 miles too far for Hong Kong green campaign
By Alexandra Harney, Financial Times
Published: May 6 2005 03:00

China and Hong Kong are pressing ahead with an ambitious plan to build one of the world's longest bridges, but the Rmb30bn (£1.9bn) project, which aims to stimulate economic development in the Pearl River delta, southern China's manufacturing hub, is drawing criticism from environmentalists.

Last month officials from the former British colony and mainland China agreed the design for a six-lane, 22 mile bridge connecting Hong Kong on the eastern side of the Pearl River with Macao and Zhuhai in the west.

Construction could start this year.

They hope the Y-shaped bridge, which is expected to shorten travel time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong from four hours to 20 minutes and be completed by 2010, will relieve pressure in the crowded eastern delta and attract investment to the undeveloped western side.

After Beijing opened the Pearl River delta to foreign investment in 1978, Hong Kong investors built factories in the east because it was easily accessible by car or train.

By comparison, visitors from Hong Kong to the western delta faced either a long car journey to Humen and the only other bridge across the delta or a boat ride.

As a result, Guangzhou, the biggest city in the eastern Pearl River delta, recorded a gross domestic product of Rmb300bn in 2002, compared with Rmb118bn in the same year in Foshan, the biggest city in the west.

This year the gap between the two cities' performance is likely to have widened even further.

But the eastern cities that have absorbed the most investment are brushing up against the limits of their growth, with shortages of labour, water, land and power driving up costs in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan.

"Hong Kong people have invested so much in the east coast . . . land is becoming more expensive," says Sarah Liao, Hong Kong's secretary for the environment, transport and works.

"They are really looking for more inner areas for further development."

The bridge's proponents say better transport links to the western delta would not only narrow the gap in economic development but also reinforce Hong Kong's role as a transport and logistics hub. Michael Enright, a professor at the University of Hong Kong and a leading scholar on the Pearl River delta, estimates that the bridge could bring at least HK$100bn ($12.8bn) a year in economic benefits to the region, equivalent to about 5 per cent of its GDP.

But others argue that environmental considerations must be taken into account. The delta is home to a population of rare pink dolphins, which could be disturbed by the bridge's construction.

One of Hong Kong's few remaining populations of horseshoe crabs lives in Tung Chung Bay, near the spot where the bridge would connect with a road on the territory's Lantau Island.

Without tight controls, vehicle traffic across the bridge and the new factories built in the western delta would also introduce additional sources of air pollution to a region already choking on the fumes from factories in the east. Environmental protection regulations are not well enforced in mainland China.

Bill Barron, associate professor at the University of Hong Kong's centre of urban planning and environmental management, says that by doubling the land easily accessible to Hong Kong, the bridge is likely to increase air and water pollution.

"We're saying it's a terrible idea because we don't have the room to absorb that many more people and industries, unless the whole industrial base gets a lot cleaner, and we just don't see that [happening]."

Ms Liao says the government is conducting its own environmental survey and insists it has proved its commitment to protecting the pink dolphins on other projects such as the building of Hong Kong's airport, which opened in 1997.

Hong Kong officials hope to restrict the class of vehicles that can use the bridge to those that meet reduced emission standards or use clean fuels.

But critics question the government's insistence on using private backing for the bridge.

They say the government is under the influence of powerful businessmen and has insisted on private finance in spite of evidence that the only way investors could make the bridge pay is by loosening restrictions on traffic across the Hong Kong-China border.

Other concerns remain. Setting a toll at an affordable level for the trucks that will constitute the bulk of cross-border traffic will prove challenging as the other boundary crossings are free.

But perhaps the trickiest remains the fact that Hong Kong people drive on the left, while mainland Chinese residents drive on the right.

[Cheese Mmmmmmmmmmmm]

China and Hong Kong are pressing ahead with an ambitious plan to build one of the world's longest bridges...

There's nothing "ambitious" about a 21 mile causeway with a tunnel or small cable-stayed span attached to it. This monstrosity needs to be dropped now! :cheers:

[_ViNcE]

wow, i really like that proyect

[bs_lover_boy]

But perhaps the trickiest remains the fact that Hong Kong people drive on the left, while mainland Chinese residents drive on the right.


It should be the other way around

[bs_lover_boy]

There's nothing "ambitious" about a 21 mile causeway with a tunnel or small cable-stayed span attached to it. This monstrosity needs to be dropped now! :cheers:

Yes, indeed, unless they build something like the gilbraltar super-bridge

[Cheese Mmmmmmmmmmmm]

^ EXACTLY! Or make the whole thing a tunnel for all I care, though that would take a long time to build...

I love the idea of linking these three cities together, but do it with some style, not a causeway. Causeways say "I refuse to put ANY thought into this bridge, just make it as cheap and ugly as possible!" :) :) :) :) :)

[Sen]

Wait a minute, Macau drives on the left (like in China, continental Europe, and North America) while Zhuhai drives on the right (like in HK, Britain, Japan)? That's really weird and messed up. I always thought Zhuhai would drive the same way China would seeing how is FULLY is part of the PRC.

China: steer on the left, drive on the right

HK Macau: Steer on the right, drive on the left.

:)

[hkskyline]

May 9, 2005
Government Press Release
'Wild speculation' on bridge project refuted

The Environment, Transport & Works Bureau has rejected as "wild speculation" media reports that the local section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will not meet environmental standards and that legal exemption would be required.

A newspaper reported today that an environmental impact assessment has found the project cannot meet the air quality requirement. It suggested that an exemption from the assessment ordinance would have to be sought from the Executive Council.

The bureau clarified that an assessment cannot yet be conducted as planning for the bridge is ongoing. It said only after such major decisions have been made can the various assessments, including one on air quality, be conducted.

[Petronius]

very interesting!! And impressive!! that's a HUGe bridge!!On eof my future projects is to visit Macao, HK! It's amazing how HK's surface is so much bigger than Macao's!! I didn't know that!

Just an historical note : Portugal drove on the left (like the UK) until the 1920s. It changed in most of the Portuguese world by then, except for Mozambique and Macao, because of the proximity to English-speaking and therefore countries driving on the left.

[scorpion]

Consultants to flesh out details of cross-delta bridge

http://hongkong.scmp.com/images/News_bridge24.MAp_2405.jpg

A conceptual design for the bridge that will link Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau is to be developed soon, with the costs split evenly among the three governments.
Transport officials in Hong Kong are to ask lawmakers for $26.8 million next month for employing consultants to draw up the design and to carry out a series of technical studies.

The project is projected to cost 72.8 million yuan.

The details were released in a government paper issued to lawmakers yesterday ahead of a transport panel meeting on Friday. Officials are to approach the public works subcommittee of the Finance Committee for funding next month.

The conceptual design will cover the main bridge, boundary-crossing facilities and connecting roads to help define the requirements and scope of the project.

After a feasibility study of the bridge, a group of experts from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau assessed three proposed alignments of the bridge.

They found the northern option, which includes a bridge and tunnel, would cause the least damage to the natural shoreline of Lantau. The experts suggested studying this option further to find ways to cut construction costs and to move the bridge further north to minimise the impact on navigation and anchorage areas.

The other two alignments would create environment problems, the experts found. The southern option would run along the natural shoreline of West Lantau; the extreme southern alignment would require a tunnel to be dug on the slope above the natural coastline of South Lantau.

The feasibility study report will be submitted to the bridge's co- ordination group before it is sent to the central government.

Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung has said that the bridge could be completed by 2010 and that construction would ideally start at the end of this year or early next year. She said the project would be put out to international tender after approval by the central government.

To accommodate traffic from the bridge, the administration has earmarked funds for the North Lantau Highway Connection, estimated to cost $9.7 billion. Construction is to start in mid-2007.

[hkskyline]

Hopewell defends bridge
Dennis Chong and Sylvia Hui
Hong Kong Standard
May 13, 2005

Dismissing concerns that the proposed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge will increase air pollution in the Pearl Delta area, a Hopewell executive and a key project manager of the bridge both downplayed the environmental impact of the proposed mega infrastructure Thursday.

But the claims met with strong opposition from some delegates at a conference on air pollution in the Pearl River Delta, organized by the Business Environment Council.

"Infrastructure doesn't by itself create pollution. Why blame highway builders? Why don't you blame car manufacturers?'' said Hopewell Highway Infrastructure's (HHI) executive director, Leo Leung.

HHI, a spin-off of Hopewell Holdings, is the leading advocate and frontrunner for developing the 30-kilometer project.

The Highways Department's Lam Chiu-hung, the project manager of the five-kilometer Hong Kong section of the bridge, said the project would create "insignificant pollution.''

He said the alignment of the bridge would "minimize'' the impact on air quality

and that the project would not cause severe pollution to the area because road traffic is a "small player in air pollution.''

But his comments were attacked by Hong Kong University professor of community medicine, Anthony Hedley. "Your proposals will create a major conduit ... for polluting sources to go straight to the heart of the SAR,'' he warned.

"If pollution is bad now, the bridge will make it intolerable.''

According to the Environmental Protection Department, emissions from motor vehicles make up 31 percent of total nitrogen oxides emissions and 14 percent of respirable suspended particulates.

The remarks followed recent reports that the ongoing environmental impact assessment on the multibillion-dollar project has alarming implications for Tung Chung New Town on Lantau.

The reports also alleged that the government is planning to seek a discretion for the Chief Executive to give the green light for the project, which will also involve the Macau and Zhuhai governments.

The Hong Kong government has branded the claims as "wild speculation,'' adding that it will not bypass the law.

When asked whether the assessment includes a protection study on the impact of future traffic patterns - which, according to estimates, could reach 80,000 vehicles a day - Lam said future problems will be solved by "other measures.''

But he did not elaborate on what those might be.

He later said the government can only conduct the study "based on available information.''

The government has not decided on the final route and landing points of the bridge, but an environmental assessment study was started in 2003 to look at the possible impact during the construction and operational stages.

According to the assessment study's brief, the impact on air should be calculated based on the maximum emission level over the next 15 years.

A paper issued by the Highways Department in October 2003, which specifies the scope of the assessment, named Tung Chung as one of the "potential receivers'' of air pollution from the bridge.

But it also concluded that "local air quality impacts due to vehicular emissions during the operation stage are not significant.''

Environmental Protection Department director Keith Kwok told the conference that, according to preliminary study data, there are no signs that the bridge will bring unacceptable pollution.

He stressed that the government will not bypass the law to give the green light to the long-awaited bridge, adding that final results of the study will be released soon.

The Highway Department's Lam said that, for the first few years of operation, traffic on the bridge is not expected to be substantial and will only have an "insignificant impact'' on the environment. But he added the alignment of the bridge will be adjusted to project people living nearby, including Tung Chung residents.

There are mounting concerns that Tung Chung, a new town of 100,000 people east of the landing point of the bridge at San Shek Wan, will be badly hit by air pollution when the bridge brings in more traffic and economic development. Lam said a decision on the route of the bridge will take several months.

The tendering process has not begun and no timetable has been set.

[hkskyline]

Toll fears for proposed bridge
Michael Ng, Hong Kong Standard
May 28, 2005

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Metro/images/bird0528.jpg

Following the precedent set by the sharp toll increase imposed by the management of the Eastern Harbour Crossing, legislators fear the government may lose its power to control toll levels for the proposed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge in a public-private partnership.

Reporting on the progress of the bridge proposal to the Legislative Council Friday, Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao said experts from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau had recommended at their April meeting to focus on the northern bridge and tunnel alignment, with landings at San Shek Wan on Lantau, Gongbei in Zhuhai and A Perola in Macau.

"The north alignment will cause the least disturbance to the environment and the habitat of dolphins in Pearl River Delta. The elevated bridge [passing] Sha Lo Wan in the north alignment option will also lower the damage caused to the coastline there," Liao said.

She said the government will find private investors to fund the construction of the bridge.

Seeking Legco approval for a HK$26.8 million fund for the design and technical studies of the bridge before next month, she hoped construction may start early next year.

But legislators are worried the government will lose its power to control toll charges under the Build, Operate, Transfer arrangement commonly used in all public-private partnership tunnels in Hong Kong.

Liberal Party transport sector legislator Miriam Yeung feared that the government's private sector partner will just refer to the rate of return when citing the bridge toll, making it unreasonable and unattractive for freight users.

"As there are alternative road transport options and river trade vessels available to the western coast of the Pearl River Delta, if the bridge venture refers purely to market levels to regain their investments and guarantee their return then the toll could reach several hundred Hong Kong dollars a trip," she said.

"This will not be an attractive rate for freight users. The toll will fail to make land transport between the coasts of Pearl River Delta convenient."

Democratic Party lawmaker Andrew Cheng suggested the government issue bonds, as it did when the government securitized five tunnels and the Tsing Ma bridge last year, to finance the project and prevent the bridge tolls spiraling out of government's control.

Liao said although the government has not yet decided the mode of commercial financing, she pledged the government will not lose the power to set tolls and will ensure it is competitive.

"I can assure you that the toll mechanism for the bridge will not be purely pegged to the rate of return. We are still seeking a balanced proposal," she said.

"We will also ensure that the bridge will not to be under-used, and that the traffic flow of the bridge will reach a specific target."

Director of Highways Mak Chai-kwong said his department is also studying four alignment options linking the bridge's landing point at San Shek Wan to the North Lantau Highway.

The options included a HK$8 billion elevated bridge, a HK$10 billion undersea tunnel, a HK$4 billion road passing through the Tung Chung new town, and a HK$6 billion tunnel.

Yeung agreed with the Highways Department's assessment that the HK$6 billion tunnel option will be the most appropriate option.

"The tunnel option should be used as its construction cost is the second lowest and will result in less environmental impact to Tung Chung. The HK$4 billion new road will only aggravate the air pollution problem there," she said.

The department will consult the Islands District Council of the four options, before seeking HK$9.715 billion from the legislature for its design and construction by early 2006.

[Q-TIP]

Loving the quick thought processes put to work on this mega project!

[Johan]

I would say its impossible to build a large span bridge, just think of the tall towers, they would block the flight patterns around the HK airport...

[hkskyline]

Taxpayers face extra $26.8m bill for bridge study
Chester Yung, Hong Kong Standard
June 8, 2005

An additional HK$26.8 million of taxpayers' money will be needed for a technical study for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, according to a government paper which will be discussed in the Legislative Council today.

The amount comes on top of the HK$59 million granted to the government in 2003 for preliminary work on the HK$15 billion project. A green group Tuesday questioned the request for more funds as the government has so far released no information on how the money has been spent.

The Conservancy Association demanded to know how the original HK$59 million was spent.

"The accountability and transparency is of public concern as this is a massive project involving a lot of public money,'' said association chairman Albert Lai.

The association recently wrote to Legco saying the government advised lawmakers of a meeting of a bridge coordination group, which comprised representatives from the mainland, Macau and Hong Kong on August 29, 2003.

They agreed to commission a study on various subjects, including economic benefits, alignments, environmental impact and hydrology. Subsequently, Legco approved the HK$59 million.

"However, it is not clear whether the government had omitted an investigation on the economic benefits from the scope of the study,'' the paper said.

The director of highways recently recommended that the project be upgraded, and requested an additional HK$26.8 million.

"The government provided no justification whatsoever as to whether the promised study on economic viability had been carried out, or whether the outcome of the study justified the needs and viability of the project,'' the association's paper to legislators said.

If the feasibility and sustainability of the project turn out to be questionable, Legco's approval of HK$26.8 million will be a waste, said Lai.

[hkskyline]

China Bridge to Help Property Firms --- Long-Discussed Structure Would Link the Mainland To Hong Kong and Macau
By Mei Fong
18 July 2005
The Wall Street Journal Europe

HONG KONG -- A long-discussed, ambitious plan for a bridge linking mainland China with Hong Kong and Macau is likely to get off the ground soon, and that could generate significant gains for infrastructure and property plays.

Talk of a bridge to serve as a visible symbol of Hong Kong's and Macau's reunification with China began more than a decade ago. The project would link the two cities with China's Pearl River Delta region, an economic powerhouse that has less than 5% of China's population but accounts for about 20% of its gross domestic product and 40% of its exports. But the plan didn't get far beyond the drawing board, as the region was hit by the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, then by the SARS epidemic in 2003.

Now, such a bridge could serve as more than just a symbol. With Disneyland opening in Hong Kong in September and Macau's gambling revenue swelling, it could boost tourism and logistical links in one of the world's busiest manufacturing districts at a time when the area faces growing competition from the Yangtze industrial region around Shanghai.

Chinese authorities gave the green light to the bridge in March, though many details, such as the extent of private involvement and the timetable, haven't been set. But belief the bridge will be built is spurring partnership discussions among operators of everything from hotels to highways, industry executives say.

Some analysts expect an announcement on the funding structure by year's end. They predict the cost of the 29-kilometer bridge could range between HK$15 billion and HK$30 billion, or 1.6 billion euros and 3.2 billion euros, with the private sector owning between 10% and 50% and provincial governments in southern China owning the rest.

Victor Fung, chairman of the Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council, a government advisory group that includes key Hong Kong business figures, says the groundbreaking could happen before year's end. Earlier, "a lot of people didn't agree" with the idea of a bridge, said Mr. Fung, chairman of Hong Kong-based sourcing giant Li & Fung. "Now it's: `How come you guys aren't fast enough?' "

Even former critics now seem eager to play a role, including Macau casino magnate Stanley Ho. His family runs Hong Kong-listed Shun Tak Holdings, which controls ferries plying the Macau-Hong Kong route. Analysts speculate that Shun Tak might team up with other Hong Kong-listed companies, such as infrastructure and property company Hopewell Holdings, or Mr. Ho's leisure operator Melco International Development, to vie for the project.

"I think they realize the bigger the Macau story, the bigger the benefit to them," says Danie Schutte, an analyst at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets.

Others that might pitch to participate are Cheung Kong Infrastructure, part of Li Ka-shing's Hutchison Whampoa conglomerate; toll operator Shenzhen Expressway; real-estate giant Sun Hung Kai Properties and real-estate and infrastructure firm Citic Pacific.

Analysts say Hopewell Holdings could emerge as one of the biggest players. The company's chief, Gordon Wu, a Princeton engineering graduate, proposed the bridge in the late 1980s and has been its most vocal advocate. In addition, its network of highways and property investments gives it one of the biggest footprints in the Pearl River area, analysts say.

The company has a strong cash flow, thanks to its 75% stake in Hopewell Highway Infrastructure, which builds and operates toll roads in China. As of December, Hopewell had HK$2.41 billion in cash, a sizable war chest for the project, says Andes Cheng, an analyst at South China Research, a Hong Kong brokerage firm.

In February, Merrill Lynch began covering both Hopewell Highway and Hopewell Holdings -- two years after Hopewell Highway and 33 years after Hopewell Holdings were listed in Hong Kong. Merrill Lynch analyst Cusson Leung says shares of the two companies generated little excitement before because of their relatively small market capitalizations and low trading volumes.

Now, Hopewell Holdings' market capitalization is US$2 billion (1.66 billion euros), up from between about US$500 million and US$600 million in the 2001-2002 period, while its share price has climbed sharply from about HK$4 at the end of 2001. On Friday, its shares rose 1% to close at HK$19.90 apiece.

"It's the company that stands to benefit most from [Pearl River Delta] regionalization," says Mr. Leung, who estimates that the asset value of Hopewell Holdings' infrastructure arm, Hopewell Highway, could increase between 50 Hong Kong cents and HK$1 per share if Hopewell wins a 50% stake in the bridge and it is completed swiftly.

Some analysts say shares of Hopewell Holdings remain relatively undervalued. Mr. Leung contends they are about 34% below asset value. Analysts attribute the undervaluation to uncertainties related to a potential stake in the bridge and the company's failure thus far to secure government approval for a proposed 60-story twin-tower hotel in Hong Kong.

If Hopewell Holdings gets a stake in the planned bridge, it might need to raise substantial debt, depending on the stake size, says CLSA's Mr. Schutte. Massive debt has become a big issue for some investors in major infrastructure projects; the Anglo-French company Eurotunnel is still struggling to pay debts from building the link between Britain and France.

Investors in infrastructure companies can face heavy risks, Mr. Schutte says, noting "timing is crucial in deciding when to buy infrastructure plays."

[Effer]

Cool Bridge!

[bs_lover_boy]

Is there anything on how the bridge is going to look??? and what is the final alignment of the bridge???

[cal_t]

I say make a dual rail/road bridge//extend the TCL line from Tung Chung or AEL to Macau and Zhu Hai

[hkskyline]

http://www.hkchcc.org/bridge.jpg

[hkskyline]

Cost disputes halt Macau Bridge project
Plagued by disputes over financial planning, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge project has came to a standstill, raising doubts about its tentative completion date in 2009
Carrie Chan
Hong Kong Standard
Saturday, September 03, 2005

Plagued by disputes over financial planning, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge project has came to a standstill, raising doubts about its tentative completion date in 2009.

Shiu Sin-por, the executive director of the One Country Two Systems Research Institute, told The Standard that three senior officials overseeing the bridge under the State Ministry had recently approached him, seeking a solution to end the deadlock.

Shiu said the deadlock was the result of disagreements over different proposals concerning supporting facilities for the bridge.

According to him, construction costs had already risen sharply from the original estimate of HK$30 billion to around HK$50 billion, one fifth of which would be required for a man- made island to house cross-border immigration and customs checkpoints.

Part of the huge increase in construction expenditure is due to the extra supporting expressways proposed by the Zhuhai and Hong Kong governments.

"However, the disputes over financing and the cost of the proposed expressways has brought work to a halt," Shui said.

"The Zhuhai government has suggested an extra expressway in Zhuhai leading to the Bridge, while the Hong Kong government wants a road from Hong Kong International Airport to the island checkpoint.

" I have suggested that one viable solution is to turn the island into a commercial area by copying the example at Chek Lap Kok airport. The inspection hall area can function as a shopping mall for tourists and this will generate revenue to help pay for the bridge."

The proposed Zhuhai Expressway will cost an estimated HK$300 million. It is expected to ease traffic congestion in Zhuhai once the bridge is completed.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang was silent over the progress of the bridge when urged by construction sector lawmaker Ho Chung-tai to expedite the project.

[Manu84]

I think I've seen renderings for the bridge, but I don't remember where...

And I think in the renderings, the bridge is going to be made up of mostly dull causeway spans. Kinda disappointing, I say if you're going to build a bridge that long, design something resembling the Gibraltar Strait Bridge or bury the bloody thing in a tunnel! :)

http://idol.union.edu/~ferrerf/project/image011.jpg


its the same bright they want build in Gibraltar :runaway:

[Cheese Mmmmmmmmmmmm]

The Pearl River Delta is slammed by Typhoons every year, is it not? Look what happened to most of the causeway bridges in the Louisiana and Mississippi area after Hurricane Katrina, they were severely damaged. Most of this proposed bridge is causeway, does anyone else think this is inviting disaster?

[crazyevildude]

If they build the bridges with Typhoons in mind, as they are going to do due to the frequency of them in the area, then the bridges should be more than capable of standing up to the most powerful typhoons. Problem with Louisiana was that because powerful hurricanes only hit from time to time people are generally more complacent and assume it wont happen, so don't want to go to the huge expense of being ready for it 'just in-case'.

I really hope this gets built, it could help spread out the incredible prosperity of HK into even more of the surronding area boasting China's economy even more. :)

[hkskyline]

Three-city bridge link reaches final stage
Neil Gough in Guangzhou
9/24/2005
South China Morning Post

Hong Kong Highways Department director Mak Chai-kwong said inter-government studies of the mammoth 49km bridge that would link Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai had reached the final stages.

The three regional governments are examining the final feasibility studies for the multibillion-dollar project after having finally reached a consensus on alignment of the route and landing points of the bridge.

At a panel discussion on infrastructure in the Pearl River Delta, Mr Mak said that after each government completed its review, the final feasibility study would be sent to the central government for approval.

While declining to set a timetable for when plans would be sent to Beijing, Mr Mak said: "Progress on this is by no means slow. In fact, I would say progress has been excellent."

He said that during the past 14 months, the Hong Kong government had commissioned some 30 topical studies on issues including the impact on the environment and Chinese white dolphins. Mr Mak is part of the co-ordinating group of government representatives that has set plans for the bridge's route. In May, it began considering 10 alignment options, and narrowed them down to the one contained in the final study.

In the plans, the bridge would head due west from Lantau Island and veer southwest after passing the Qingzhou Channel, roughly the halfway point.

Questioning the possibility of including a railway line along the bridge, MTR Corp chief design manager Malcolm Gibson said it was imperative to decide the intended market.

Passenger traffic would most likely gravitate towards buses or private vehicles, Mr Gibson said. Targeting the freight market posed challenges for a rail system because of logistical issues in transshipment. For freight rail to work, it will need to be integrated with a port and transverse a substantially dense cluster of factories, neither of which is the case with these plans.

[(((myx)))]

ive seen this one in megacities in national geo and its very superb!!!

[khoojyh]

wow... great project... have any update news?

[hkskyline]

Siu Ho Wan rail to link to mega-bridge
Cecilia Lo
China Daily - Hong Kong Edition
23 November 2005

A new MTR station may be built at Siu Ho Wan in the northern part of Lantau Island as a subway link to the proposed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge, transforming the place into a major cross-boundary transport hub.

The government said yesterday that the mega-bridge would improve connections not only between Hong Kong and Macao, but also the western part of the Pearl River region. The Highways Department and the authorities are studying the preliminary design of the bridge and its links with Lantau that will also come as a booster for the various development projects on the island.

Siu Ho Wan could become a huge park-and-ride hub with an MTR station. The MTR's Siu Ho Wan depot has been selected as potential station site and the railway has shown interest in conducting a feasibility study on the proposal.

Siu Ho Wan is the proposed location for the Lantau Logistics Park (LLP), too, which will provide a better supply chain to meet global demands and "one-stop" logistics services. The LLP will be directly accessible from the North Lantau Highway while being close to the Hong Kong International Airport and Kwai Chung container port.

Speaking at a meeting of the Legislative Council (LegCo) panel on planning, lands and works and environmental affairs yesterday, District Planning Officer of the Lantau and Islands Planning Department Phyllis Li said: "The park will make use of the sea, land and air infrastructure at the site."

The LLP is high on the priority list under the concept plan for Lantau's development proposed in October 2004. The plan aims to make Lantau a sustainable development example by striking a balance between economic activities and conservation.

About 540 written remarks on the plan were received by the government during a three-month consultation period.

[hkskyline]

Dream project a bridge too far
Hopewell Highway says even
construction heavyweights find the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai link's $60b price tag too high
Ken Lo
20 October 2005
South China Morning Post

For Hopewell Highway Infrastructure, the proposed Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge - whose present price tag is $60 billion - could be a bridge too far.

The 20-year dream of chairman Sir Gordon Wu Ying-sheung to link the transport flow in the Pearl River delta with a 36km bridge and tunnel road corridor started at $15 billion.

But now, with the Guangdong and Macau governments calling on private entities to also bear the cost of the networks linking the bridge and main expressways in Guangdong province, it is enough to make anyone blanch.

"Sixty billion dollars is a huge number," Hopewell managing director Thomas Jefferson Wu said the company's annual general meeting yesterday.

The company believes only very few heavy-hitting infrastructure firms could bear such a cost. Even the Hong Kong government has estimated costs could swell to between $20 billion and $30 billion.

The eye-popping bill has cast a pall over Hopewell's efforts to find partners to compete for the bridge project, which it estimates will cost it 2.62 billion yuan, based on the assumption that its 50 per cent interest would be made up of 35 per cent equity and 65 per cent bank borrowings.

Hopewell plans to take a 50 per cent stake in the project.

The governments of Hong Kong, Guangdong province and Macau would seek approval from Beijing for the proposed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project, Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen said in his first policy paper last week.

BNP Paribas Peregrine infrastructure analyst Jim Wong said there were concerns that there would be very few players willing to take on such an ambitious and costly project.

Even an extension of the operating period from 30 years to 50 years would add little incentive and much would depend on how flexible the government could be with its toll fee policy, Mr Wong said.

"From the point of the discounted cash flow model, the value of the last 20 years of toll fee revenue would not be substantial enough to entice investors," he said.

Hopewell has enough cash to fund the project after boosting reserves to $2.44 billion, partly by arranging an unsecured syndicated loan of $3.6 billion last week. This was in addition to an operating cash inflow of more than $1 billion annually. However, the cost of the project has given the firm cold feet.

As for other projects, Hopewell has said it was still awaiting government approval to widen the 122.8km GS Superhighway to a dual five-lane expressway.

Thomas Wu said the expansion plan was now at the screening stage with local municipalities and he hoped to get the green light as soon as possible.

He forecast a 60 per cent rise in traffic flow following construction.

The total investment is estimated to be upwards of $7 billion, depending on how well Hopewell and its local partners prepared land banks in advance for future development purposes.

The GS Superhighway, the major expressway directly linking Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, is a fully lit three-lane dual expressway.

[Kai Tak]

...

[Pumpina]

Hi folks!
I am trying to contact Sir Gordon Wu,, Chairman of Hopewell Holdings Limited HHL, but I can t reach him.
Do you guys have by chance any contact information regarding this person ? I am involved in a huge port remodeling project in South America and I am planning to visit HK.

Thanks

:) PUMPINA (pumpi@argentina.com)

Quotation of the day :
Climb every mountain, ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream!
from The Sound of Music.

[hkskyline]

Best of luck trying to reach him. His company's website is : http://www.hopewellholdings.com/

[Pumpina]

Thanks for your quick response.
Pumpina

[hkskyline]

Delta bridge target put at 54b yuan
6 December 2005
South China Morning Post

The operator of the bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau will have to raise 54 billion yuan, says legislator Lau Kong-wah.

Speaking after meeting Huang Weihong, deputy director of the Guangdong People's Congress Standing Committee, Mr Lau said the amount would cover all reclamation and construction costs.

He said mainland authorities had agreed that the bridge would adopt the build, operate, transfer (BOT) model, under which a franchisee pays the construction costs, operates the project and returns it to the governments.

Expressing concern over this model, Mr Lau said: "I hope the BOT franchise can be lengthened, to keep the toll low."

Transport services legislator Miriam Lau Kin-yee also agreed that the BOT period had to be long enough to compensate for the expensive price tag.

The legislators are part of the Legislative Council transport panel delegation paying a visit to Guangzhou. It is the first mainland visit by a Legco panel, coming after a landmark trip by 59 lawmakers in September.

[zergcerebrates]

I guess they can't built this bridge tall because of its proximity to the HK Airport?

This bridge would definitely hurt the ferry business

[hkskyline]

Tunnel bid could sink cross-delta bridge plan
Underwater link between Zhongshan and Shenzhen backed by Guangdong
13 February 2006
South China Morning Post

An underwater tunnel between Zhongshan and Shenzhen has been endorsed by the Guangdong government, and experts say the project could scuttle the long-awaited Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge.

A government source said provincial authorities had finished all necessary studies into the feasibility and funding of the tunnel, but were waiting to gauge the central government's reaction to the project - even though Beijing's approval is not needed - and its decision on the cross-delta bridge.

Combined with the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor, due to be completed this year, the tunnel could greatly reduce travelling time between the relatively underdeveloped western Pearl River Delta and the more prosperous east.

A tunnel was widely seen by Guangdong academics and officials as a better alternative to the expensive and controversial Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge, and would make that project redundant, said veteran China observer Johnny Lau Yui-siu.

"It would be cheaper and easier to build. The Guangdong government has set aside money for the project. If it goes ahead, I fear the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge will no longer be necessary."

Supporters of the project say the tunnel, which would probably land in northwest Shenzhen - has many advantages over the bridge. It would cost 6 billion yuan to build, compared with $60 billion for the bridge.

It would also face fewer political and administrative obstacles, as it would run entirely within Guangdong territory. "It is within Guangdong waters so we don't need the central government's approval. And we don't have to co-ordinate with other governments," said a source familiar with the situation.

The bridge would span two special administrative regions and Guangdong. Working out how to share jurisdiction has been a headache for the authorities.

A Shenzhen academic cited the Western Corridor, which also involves a bridge, as an example of the problems involved. The National People's Congress was asked to decide which side would have jurisdiction over the bridge, and the NPC eventually ordered Shenzhen to cede control to Hong Kong.

"But the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge will not be so easy," the academic said. "It is much longer than the Western Corridor and involves three governments."

Guangdong academics first proposed building a bridge or underwater tunnel from Zhongshan to Shenzhen about five years ago. But the project was shelved after Hong Kong expressed an interest in building a bridge connecting the city to Zhuhai and Macau.

Estimated construction costs for the bridge have been drastically revised from the original $15 billion to nearly $60 billion.

The Macau and Guangdong governments have not expressed interest in funding it, while the Hong Kong business community is divided on the plan. These factors - and the bridge's failure to link with Shenzhen - have helped revive the tunnel proposal.

Sun Yat-sen University professor Zheng Tianxiang , a key policy adviser on the issue, said support for the underwater tunnel proposal was growing fast.

He said the Guangdong government should delay the project, however, until Beijing made a decision on the cross-delta bridge.

Mainland media have largely kept silent on the proposal as Guangdong authorities fear it might compromise their relationship with Hong Kong. "This is something we can work on, but not talk about," one official said.

But tunnel supporters believe it cannot be held back for long. One source said: "The bridge plan has dragged on for too long and will cost too much {hellip} We have to start working on alternatives."

[hkth]

Tunnel bid could sink cross-delta bridge plan
Underwater link between Zhongshan and Shenzhen backed by Guangdong
13 February 2006
South China Morning Post

(skipped)


If this really came true, that really wasn't a good news for both HK and Macau. :ohno:

[Kai Tak]

Wow the price tag for the bridge is up to $60 billion? That's outrageous, go for the tunnel. :sleepy:

[hkskyline]

It's HK$60 billion though, which is about US$7 billion.

[hkskyline]

Extra links across delta seen as posing no threat to super-bridge project
14 February 2006
South China Morning Post

More links across the Pearl River Delta estuary would not supersede the proposed super-bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau, the government says.

The comment came after the South China Morning Post reported yesterday that the Guangdong government had endorsed a plan to link Zhongshan and Shenzhen by an undersea tunnel, a scheme which some mainland analysts said might render the proposed super-bridge redundant.

A spokesman for the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau said a joint study carried out by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Hong Kong authorities in 2003 had already concluded that the estuary could accommodate three links between the two banks of the Pearl River.

"A link between Shenzhen and Zhongshan has been looked at, but the report concludes that the bridge should be given priority because of its political and economic significance," he said.

He said the advance work on the super-bridge project was progressing and all parties wished to finish the project as soon as possible.

Anthony Yeh Gar-on, from the University of Hong Kong's Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management, said the level of economic development in the western Pearl River Delta did not warrant an extra link at this time.

"I would be surprised if the central government now or very soon approves the link between Zhongshan and Shenzhen," he said.

He also disputed whether the provincial authority could have final say on building the tunnel, as was reported, because such a tunnel would be a national link.

"After all, there must be a co-ordinating body and that must be the central government," Professor Yeh said.

An industry source said they had heard about the tunnel project, but believed there would be no conflict between it and the bridge.

"The two have different functions. One is a link for internal flow while the other is cross-border and has a strategic role to play in the development of southern China," he said.

WWF Hong Kong conservation officer, Clarus Chu Ping-shing, said a tunnel link in the upper Pearl River estuary would pose less of a threat to the Chinese white dolphin than the super-bridge, whose habitat it would traverse.

But Green Power chief executive officer Man Chi-sum said that an undersea tunnel might destroy the river bed if it was not built with great care.

[Kai Tak]

It's HK$60 billion though, which is about US$7 billion.
Right, but the proposed tunnel was 1/10th the cost of the bridge. I'm assuming that's because the tunnel spans a shorter width of the delta.

What are the reasons given for the increase in the bridge's cost? Did surveys of the route reveal areas that'll cost more to build than anticipated?

[Joshua888]

thats great news!

[hkskyline]

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to Start Construction Next Year

HONG KONG, February 28, SinoCast -- Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Hengqin Economic Development Zone are expected to start construction next year simultaneously, according to sources from a meeting about the planning for the eleventh Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010).

Issues about the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project have been almost resolved, except issues of port location and environmental protection, said Chen Shan, a director of the Development and Reform Commission of Guangdong Province.

The bidding for design of the bridge will start as soon as the central government finalizes the specific location for the port. The construction is expected to start in 2007, as the design work is estimated to last almost half a year.

A total investment of CNY 55 billion in the bridge will primarily come from social capitals. The cost recovery period will vary from 15 to 20 years and is predicted to be extended with the intent to stimulate social enthusiasm.

When it comes to the Hengqin Economic Development Zone project, Mr. Chen said the preparatory work has been making significant headways, and the project has been submitted to related authorities for suggestions.

The construction of the two projects will introduce more capitals in the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong and Macau regions into Zhuhai and the western part of the Pearl River Delta, noted a profession of Jinan University.

[hkskyline]

Uncertainty over cost, timetable of new bridge
6 March 2006
South China Morning Post

A difference has emerged over the cost and timetable for a bridge linking Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai .

The Guangdong authorities had not set a timetable and price tag for the project, the province's executive vice-governor Tang Bingquan said yesterday.

His remarks marked an apparent deviation from those of Guangdong Development and Reform Commission director-general Chen Shanru , who said two weeks ago that the provincial authorities were hoping to begin work on the bridge next year.

But Mr Tang, who attended the opening ceremony of the National People's Congress yesterday, said: "It is too early to estimate the construction cost because we are still conducting a thorough study."

He also said the provincial authorities had never mentioned when the project would start. "What we have been saying is that we are actively pushing ahead with the project."

"I think we should not act too hastily on the project although we are actively pushing ahead {hellip} We have to agree on a proposal which benefits all of the three parties."

He said 23 out of 25 topics covering the bridge studied by a taskforce comprising officials from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong had been completed. "What remains to be resolved are financing and the design of the immigration checkpoints on the ends of the bridge," said Mr Tang.

Asked if the Guangdong authorities had overstated the estimated construction cost of the project, he said they had never spelled out the expected price tag.

[hkskyline]

Hui signals SAR climbdown over Zhuhai bridge customs
Carrie Chan
Hong Kong Standard
Tuesday, April 04, 2006

A hurdle in the troubled Hong Kong- Macau-Zhuhai bridge plan appears to have been overcome after Chief Secretary Rafael Hui told businessmen the SAR government will drop its proposal for a one-stop customs and immigration checkpoint for Guangdong province and the two Special Administrative Regions, a source said.

A leading member of the Business Council for the Greater Pearl River Delta, who declined to be named, said Monday that Hui told the council in a closed-door briefing that dropping the one-stop checkpoint will be a possible quick-fix solution to end the negotiating impasse.

"Hui briefed us that under `one country, two systems,' we had better cease disputes over this thorny issue and move on to a more contentious and significant issue - financing," the member said.

According to the Hong Kong No2, who also chairs the Hong Kong and Guangdong Joint Cooperation Committee, officials from the three sides had discussed a uniform checkpoint to ensure smooth processing of travelers and cargo.

"But talks were impeded as huge differences arising from distinct customs entities and immigration regimes of the three places," the member added.

Hui told the closed-door committee Monday that time would be better spent on narrowing differences over financing.

"The chief secretary also told the committee that Hong Kong should be aware of lagging behind developments in Guangdong and booming tourism in Macau," the member said.

" Members were warned that circumstances are turning unfavorable for Hong Kong, which risks being marginalized by the mainland's rapid development. It is more disturbing to see some Guangdong provincial leaders less interested in the bridge plan than investing in other projects in the province."

In the briefing Hui did not go into detail how to split the bill for the giant bridge. He said that it will require arduous deliberations by the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau officials, the member said.

Victor Fung, who chairs the Airport Authority and the Business Council for the Greater Pearl River Delta, declined to disclose how to tackle the problems confronting the bridge plan but stressed the project should proceed as soon as possible.

" I am confident everything will be settled in the end. Things are getting better now and will move on in the near future," Fung said.

Despite speculation that the bridge might be shelved because of the huge construction costs, Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho unveiled an alternative proposal last Saturday to a visiting delegation of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. According to Ho, a plausible option to end the financing dispute is to drop the idea of a fair split.

Rather, Ho told the visiting DAB lawmakers an uneven split would be a way out of the deadlock. He elaborated that each side might be required to pay a different amount for some part of the bridge lying in its domain with an additional bill for other related road links and public works.

A plan for a one-stop checkpoint for the Western Corridor has also been presented to Shenzhen authorities.

"It would be a price to pay for the expediency of building the bridge by sacrificing a unified regime for customs clearance and immigration control," the council member said.

Meanwhile, Fung said the council has assigned Trade Development Council chief executive Fred Lam to lead a policy research project on the industrial transformation of the western Pearl River Delta from labor-intensive manufacturing to heavy industries.

Tung Chee-sing, former chairman of the Hong Kong General Commerce of Chamber, will also launch a study on exploring opportunities to shift industries from the well-developed east bank to the less-developed west bank.

[hkskyline]

港珠澳橋五年內難完工
發改委主任斷言 胡應湘唱反調
26/04/2006

【本報記者廣州報道】廣東省發展和改革委員會主任陳善如指，港珠澳大橋自○三年規劃至今，除了考慮口岸選址，亦涉及很多技術及融資問題，需全盤方案，他預期大橋在今後五年的十一五規劃期間內，未必能完工；他也沒有回應大橋何時可以上馬。但最早倡議興建港珠澳大橋的合和實業主席胡應湘在本港則估計，建橋計劃可望今年內拍板，有信心可在三百億元內建成連接三地的單Ｙ橋，預計日後收費每架車每程一百至二百元。

陳善如：雙Y方案不可行
陳善如在廣州會見本港新聞界時謂，他○三年已上任，從未見過港珠澳大橋的雙Y方案，雙Y方案根本不曾存在，他更指雙Y方案不可行，因為環保上涉及水流問題，而司法管轄的問題也不容易解決，究竟是實行一地三檢還是三地三檢？若一地三檢，則應在哪設口岸？若是三地三檢，口岸與口岸之間的「中間地帶」又由哪邊政府負責呢？對於有報道指，由於港珠澳大橋遲遲未能實現，內地有計劃興建深圳至中山的大橋。陳善如斷言表示，在十一五規劃中，沒有這個項目。

另一方面，合和實業主席胡應湘則指，港珠澳大橋雖無列入廣東省「十一五規劃」，但形容大橋現時「萬事俱備」，被卡住的過關和融資問題其實都可解決。胡建議在澳門拱北關閘對開水域填海建造「一地三檢」口岸，過境車輛旅客日後使用港珠澳大橋只需上落車一次，便可完成出入境手續，遠較「三地三檢」方便。

內地專家曾指大橋建費或高達六百億元，嚇怕投資者，胡則有相反看法，不計香港段，內地及澳門段建費可在三百億元內完成，以此價錢合和很樂意承包。他又指深圳與中山亦擬建深中大橋，可與港珠澳大橋並存。http://the-sun.orisun.com/channels/img/endmarker.gif

[Rachmaninov]

Macau is not very supportive. They are dragging the bridge down.

[null]

^why?

i personally think its a waste of money,too

another 面子工程(FaceSaveing Project) :sleepy:

[hkth]

^why?

i personally think its a waste of money,too

another 面子工程(FaceSaveing Project) :sleepy:

I really disagree with you. This bridge is actually one of the projects for the Pan Pearl River Delta (PPRD). It helps the development of the Western Guangdong and even the Southwestern Proviences. You may read more info here (http://www.pprd.org.cn/) if you can read Simplfied Chinese. :|

[Rachmaninov]

^why?

i personally think its a waste of money,too

another 面子工程(FaceSaveing Project) :sleepy:

The bridge is very beneficial to Hong Kong as cargoes from the North-West can easily travel to Hong Kong without going through Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Problem is, Macau is depending too much on gambling. A main reason why people travel to Macau is to gamble, and they stay at Macau's hotels. Reliable sources tell me that they are predicting that many people will travel to Macau to gamble but stay in HK's hotels once the bridge is completed. Macau now are building too much hotels and thus if the bridge is completed the hotels will die.

[hkskyline]

Delta bridge built in 3 years, says Sir Gordon
27 April 2006
South China Morning Post

The tycoon who for the past two decades has advocated a bridge linking Hong Kong with Zhuhai and Macau believes the project will take only three years to complete, with any obstacles resolved in six months.

Hopewell Holdings chairman Sir Gordon Wu Ying-sheung's remarks came a day after Guangdong Development and Reform Commission director Chen Shanru said it was "definitely impossible" for the bridge to be ready within the next five years.

Sir Gordon told a seminar at the University of Science and Technology yesterday that technical aspects of building the bridge posed no problem. "But there are some vested interests in Hong Kong who do not want to see the bridge built," he said.

Analysts said Hutchison Whampoa once feared that if the bridge was built, containers may go to terminals near the new link rather than existing port facilities at Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi, where the company had invested heavily.

And Ho Ming-sze, a close aide to tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung, who has large investments in piers and port facilities in Nansha and Panyu near Guangzhou, said in 2003 the proposed bridge would not be cost effective.

On Tuesday, Mr Chen, who hopes construction work can start next year, said the project still faced two major obstacles - environmental concerns and the need to work out how to share jurisdiction of the bridge with the two special administrative regions, including the establishment of border checkpoints.

Sir Gordon said he was confident the project could start next year, adding that it would only take three years to complete.

He said the idea of the mainland and both special administrative regions performing immigration and customs checks at a shared checkpoint would be a better option than setting up three separate checkpoints at different ends of the proposed bridge.

[HongKongDisneyland]

【大公報訊】記者袁秀賢廣州十一日電：廣東省省長黃華華今天下午在廣東省政府迎賓廳接見香港廣東社團總會的「廣東省訪問團」一行時表示，下一步將突出在經貿、跨界基礎設施及民生等方面推進粵港合作。其中備受關注的港珠澳大橋建設，前期工作已差不多完成，要向社會招標。

黃華華說，粵港合作這幾年發展很快，到廣東投資的外資當中，有六成來自香港同胞。沒有香港的支持，廣東沒有今天。廣東的發展離不開香港，香港的發展又離不開廣東，唇齒相依，親如手足，關係非常密切。

黃華華還說，這幾年粵港合作成效更好。去年，粵港外貿進出口達到二千九百多億美元，香港佔七成。廣東七成的外貿進出口通過香港出去（包括轉口貿易）；而來自香港的CEPA零關稅進口，佔全國七成；香港個人旅遊中，廣東遊客佔八成。香港廣東社團有許多工商界企業家，在珠三角洲投資，可擴展到東西兩翼。他說，在廣東投資回報絕對好，絕大多數的香港投資者都能掙得錢。

黃華華表示，下一步加大粵港合作力度，將突出在經貿、跨界的基礎設施、民生等五個方面合作，把粵港合作提高到更好的水平、更高的層次。

黃華華還說，跨界的基礎設施合作，粵港兩地頗為關心，需加快進度。西部通道計劃今年底建成，建成後，多了幾個關口，廣東與香港之間的通關更為方便、更通暢。目前，深圳羅湖關是世界第一大關，廣東到香港每天流動約四十萬人，相當於一天移動一個中等城市。

至於穗港深高速鐵路，廣東方面已動工。他說，去年底，廣州到深圳高速鐵路段已經動工，下來香港段的安排，關鍵是路向走向，定下來，就可以加快。這條鐵路建成後，廣州到香港四十分鐘就可以到，人員流動便利。廣深高速鐵路要加快建設。

黃華華透露，備受關注的港珠澳大橋，共二十五個專題，現在完成二十四個，前期工作已差不多，主要是招標。大橋的投資比較大，要靠社會投資，要向社會招標。

[HongKongDisneyland]

倡建隧道 溝通機場屯門

http://www.wenweipo.com/loadImage.phtml?image_filename=/image/2006/05/14/hk0514a7.jpg
胡應湘倡建隧道接連機場及屯門，以防青馬大橋出現問題，香港對外聯繫會斷絕。 資料圖片




【本報訊】(記者 曾少妍)在一個有關「香港會否邊緣化」的論壇上，合和實業主席胡應湘表示，香港應加強與內地基建融合，及繼續發展本土基建，以提升本港競爭力，並倡議興建屯門至機場的隧道，透過未來的西部通道與珠三角進行直接貨物運輸，減低被邊緣化的機會。

　胡應湘昨日在會上表示，內地基建發展迅速，公路系統由79年的零公里發展至今天的3萬公里，能夠與本港青馬大橋媲美的大橋建設也多達50多條；反觀本港大型基建項目卻在97年開始停滯不前。他說，從來沒有一個國家或地區會出現「基建飽和」：「除非你做到無塞車，自來水供應好，污染完全解決，但那個地方叫做人間樂園。」

促建港珠澳橋 減低被邊緣化

　他贊成本港應盡快與內地落實興建港珠澳大橋，相信可減低香港被邊緣化的機會，並促請特區政府發展一條隧道，銜接屯門與國際機場的交通，以防青馬大橋出現問題，癱瘓本港運作。「呢條橋有咩風吹草動，香港對外的聯繫因此斷絕。你想想後果如何？」

　他認為，有關隧道發展既可保證機場運作不受影響，亦可充分發揮機場空運效應，「珠江三角洲的貨物，可以通過西部通道完成直接運輸，這就是發揮經濟效益及效率。」

　他說，自己未有機會與特首曾蔭權提出有關隧道的構思，但坦言昔日向前特首董建華提出後，政府雖說會作研究，但至今卻毫無進展。

　胡應湘又批評當局往往借需求問題妨礙基建發展，反而常聽顧問意見胡亂花錢，「個顧問話迪士尼樂園好喎，一下子便使錢；顧問話機場展覽廳好喎，又使錢落去。」

劉兆佳籲兩地 加強基建融合

　另一與會者中央政策組首席顧問劉兆佳，也認同兩地加強基建融合發展，有助兩地未來整體經濟合作。「我認同要搞好內地經濟融合，基建工程一定要夠，特別是交通運輸。」他重申，無論香港及廣東均存在經濟合作意向，雖然兩地在合作中仍存在競爭，但港人應樂觀面對合作關係。

　他續說，面對長三角崛起的威脅，珠三角發展同樣有迫切性，由於香港在「一國兩制」下存在優勢，相信本港能夠在整個珠三角的發展上發揮重要作用。

　「我相信香港與廣東的合作前景不錯，不要因為港珠澳大橋還未搞掂，就以為兩地發展是勢成水火。應該看整個局面。」

[hkskyline]

FTU to urge action on cross-border projects
Carrie Chan
20 May 2006
Hong Kong Standard

The troubled Hong Kong-Macau- Zhuhai bridge plan will be brought to the attention of Vice President Zeng Qinghong in the middle of next week by a leading pro-Beijing trade union as part of discussions on a variety of issues relating to cross-border cooperation between the governments of the SAR, Shenzhen and Guangdong province.

Cheng Yiu-tong, chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions and also an Executive Council member, said Friday that they hoped to reflect the urgency required to get these cross-border projects moving again when they meet with central leaders and concerned ministries during a four-day visit to Beijing.

``Some hurdles regarding the bridge plan remain despite a detailed feasibility study and Beijing having given the green light,'' he said.

``It seems to be hampered not by financial problems but some other unresolved disputes.

``There are also other outstanding plagued projects like the Western Corridor, which are falling behind schedule.

``Stronger directives from Beijing on closer cross-border cooperation can help resolve the impasse.''

Meanwhile, Zeng and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office will be called to rule on the impact of a new regulation barring all drivers over 60 years from using cross-border roads, a ruling which could affect the livelihoods of hundreds of local container truck drivers.

Pollution will also be among the subjects the trade unionists plan to discuss in closed-door talks with central leaders.

Cheng said the federation will suggest to Beijing to gather Guangdong and Hong Kong's environmental chiefs for a stronger push on implementing clean air measures.

``Air quality in the south China region and Hong Kong has been sharply deteriorating as a result of the amount of new cars and the building of over 20 new electricity power plants in Guangdong,'' Cheng said.

``I am worried that if both sides fail to achieve the target for the cross-border clean air program, it will become a laughing stock.''

The FTU delegation will also meet top officials of the Home Affairs Ministry, Social Security Ministry, Labor Ministry and All-China Federation of Trade Unions on labor, social, economic and other outstanding issues on economic integration with China.

``The economic summit this September is a proactive move by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen in a bid to avoid Hong Kong being overshadowed by the mainland's rapid economic development,'' Cheng added.

``We should adopt a new mind-set of humility for changes.

``It is timely to devise an action plan of strategies to tap into the 11th five- year plan for trade and job opportunities.''

[dchengg]

i wonder if mtr will build a line along the bridge after the bridge has finished...

[hkskyline]

Chief denies standstill over bridge
Michael Ng
Hong Kong Standard
Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen has denied suggestions that discussions on the proposed mega- bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau are stalemated and insisted that feasibility studies are nearing completion.
In a Radio Television Hong Kong interview Tuesday before he led an 80-strong delegation to Guangxi, he said that because the bridge will straddle three jurisdictions, complications are to be expected but will soon be ironed out.

Tsang's optimism over the 60 billion yuan (HK$58.01 billion) Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai project is in direct contrast with the views of a senior Guangdong official who last month said the bridge will not be ready within the next five years.

The province's Development and Reform Commission director, Chen Shanru, said there are numerous obstacles that need to be resolved, such as environmental concerns, the issue of jurisdiction and establishment of border checkpoints. Because of these, Chen said, there is no likelihood the bridge will be completed within the time frame of the mainland's 11th five-year development plan, which ends in 2010.

But Tsang played down these fears.

"Even our smaller infrastructure projects like the Tamar development sparked various concerns and it took us a lot of time to work on it," he said. "For such a large-scale bridge, which straddles the entire Pearl River Delta and three different jurisdictions, one would expect there to be many technical and financial issues that have to be resolved.

"But we are already close to finishing our feasibility study and once the design of the border checkpoints and the financing issues are resolved, I believe progress will be smoother."

Tsang would not be drawn on whether it is possible that construction will begin next year, but said he expects swift progress once potential investors are satisfied with the bridge's design.

Tsang also spoke of his nine-day Labor Day vacation up north in eastern cities such as Wuxi, Nanjing and Shanghai. He said he was impressed with the Yangtze River Delta development and amazed at the new container terminals in Shanghai.

"I can foresee that it will be difficult for ports in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region to capture exports from eastern China," he said.

"The challenge for us is to ensure that Hong Kong container ports have the ability to match the ports in eastern China in future."

Tsang appealed to the local business sector to cooperate with adjacent provinces in the Pearl River Delta to create more business opportunities rather than to get involved in vicious competition.

"The country has clearly positioned Hong Kong as a finance, logistics and trading center," he said.

"In the meantime, we have witnessed swift development in Guangdong, which possibly may take away part of our business opportunities on the mainland.

"But I believe this is a healthy development. We have to further develop our strengths and strive for the best possible opportunities in our regional development."

Tsang said he does not think Hong Kong will be marginalized by the mainland's rapid economic development because the public is aware of possible competition and will not be complacent.

[hkskyline]

中央支持建港珠澳大橋
港滇首辦一程多站麗江遊
05/06/2006

【本報記者雲南昆明報道】港珠澳大橋遲遲未「拍板」動工，但中央發展和改革委員會副主任杜鷹昨日與特首曾蔭權會面時重申，中央支持興建港珠澳大橋，各方將加緊努力推動。此外，香港與雲南昨日簽訂了一共十三項有關物流及旅遊合作的諒解備忘錄，包括同意以「一程多站」模式，開辦香港與雲南麗江的旅遊路線，預料可吸引更多外國長途旅客到港滇兩地旅遊。

曾蔭權昨日從廣西轉抵雲南昆明，下午與晚上出席了六項官式活動，先後與廣東省省長黃華華、雲南省省長徐榮凱及湖南省省長周伯華會面，重頭戲是與杜鷹的會面。

黃華華讚ƅ