Hong Kong Transport Secretary Eva Cheng hails HK-Macau bridge eco-ruling
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The Hong Kong Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng has welcomed a court's ruling on the environmental impact assessment of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project, vowing that construction will start by year's-end.
Her comments come after the Hong Kong Court of Appeal overturned a judgment blocking construction of the Hong Kong section of the bridge.
Ms Cheng said the government will now go ahead with the statutory procedure and funding application. The project has already been delayed by more than a year, boosting costs by HK$6.5 billion (US$834.25 million), a government statement said.
She reiterated the government conducted the environmental impact assessment in accordance with the law, and urged the plaintiff to consider the issue carefully before making an appeal, due to the huge costs involved.
The Environmental Protection Department also welcomed the judgment and said it will continue conducting environmental assessments.
The structure is a series of bridges and tunnels covering 50 kilometres that will connect the west side of Hong Kong to Macau and the Guangdong city of Zhuhai. Construction began in December 2009 and was to be completed in 2015-2016.
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