GDI: Additional costs for super bridge remain unknown

By
Kam Leong

The MSAR Government’s budget for the main section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai Macau-Bridge remains at RMB1.98 billion (MOP2.3 billion/US$287.5 million) at the moment, although the total amount for the overrun is still under analysis.
According to Tomás Hoi, acting co-ordinator of the Infrastructure Development Office, the three governments have already appointed an advisor to evaluate the additional costs for the main sector of the delta bridge.
The official revealed the information in his reply to legislator Au Kam San’s written interpellation enquiring into the construction costs of the super infrastructure.
The main bridge, including a 29.6 kilometre dual 3-lane carriageway, runs from the artificial island off Gongbei in Zhuhai to the eastern artificial island for the tunnel section west of Hong Kong’s boundary facilities for the bridge. The project was initially estimated to cost a total of RMB15.73 billion, underwritten by the three governments in a mutually agreed ratio.
In February, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport and Housing, Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, admitted the main sector of the bridge had overrun its budget. “The final cost for the main bridge will be higher than the original estimate due to some construction and manpower challenges,” the Hong Kong official said as quoted by South China Morning Post.
He added then that the three governments will make up the difference on a proportional basis.
On the other hand, the GDI acting head said the Macau Government is pushing Mainland authorities to speed up the construction progress of the city’s border facilities for the bridge located on an artificial island.
“We strive to complete the project with the completion date of the whole Hong Kong Zhuhai Macau Bridge,” the official wrote, adding that the total budget for this project is still under negotiation with the Mainland authorities.
The government also expects the city’s two links – namely, the one connecting the Peninsula to the reclamation area of Zone A, and the other connecting Zone A to the artificial island – to be completed in the third quarter and fourth quarter of this year, respectively.
The super bridge linking the three cities is expected to be completed by the end of this year.