July of the Airport Committee also failed to resolve the
differences between the two sides. Discussions will
continue after a pause for reflection.
20.
The total cost of the new airport and related infrastructure projects is estimated at HK$ 112.2 billion at March 1991 prices. The private sector is expected to take up some 60% of the funding. The new airport itself is scheduled to come into operation in 1997, initially with one runway. When fully developed, it will have two runways, will be able to operate 24 hours a day and to handle 80 million passengers a year. Supporting infrastructure will include a fixed crossing (ie suspension bridges) linking North Lantau to Hong Kong Island via Tsing Yi and West Kowloon, and road and rail transport links.
21.
British companies are taking a close interest in the project. Many consultancy contracts have been awarded to British companies including Kleinwort Benson, Wardley's and Mott MacDonald and Maunsell. A reclamation project has been awarded to Gammon (in which Jardines and Trafalgar House have half shares) and a group led by British Airports Authority has won the contract to design the new airport terminals. The contract for the main bridge (Lantau Fixed Link) was recently awarded to the Anglo-Japanese Consortium, which inclues Trafalgar House, Costain and Mitsui, and the contract for Phase 1 of the North Lantau Express way was won by a consortium which includes AMEC (UK). These are the two largest PADS related contracts to have been awarded so far.
22. A letter of intent in respect of the largest of all the airport contracts, that for the airport site preparation, has been issued to a Japanese-led consortium, in which Costain Civil Engineering have a large stake. The contract is expected to be awarded when differences with China on financial issues have been resolved, and funds approved by the Legislative Council.
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