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Funds sought for West Kowloon Reclamation works
The Finance Committee will be asked to approve $1,112 million (in money of the day) for the construction of roads and drains for the West Kowloon Reclamation.
A Government spokesman said today (Wednesday) that work on the reclamation project, one of the 10 projects under the Airport Core Programme (ACP), had progressed very considerably with 90 per cent of the land already formed.
Apart from providing land for buildings, the reclamation will also provide the landfall and toll plaza area for the Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) as well as the transport corridor for the West Kowloon Expressway (WKE) and the Airport Railway.
The spokesman said: "Work has to start in April this year on the construction of roads and drains to serve the building developments proposed for the reclamation, and to enable the complementary road network and supporting utilities for the WHC and the WKE to be completed by 1997 as scheduled.
"The road works with associated drainage, landscaping, footbridge and subway, and sewerage systems, for which funds are now being sought, are considered to be the minimum necessary for these projects."
A paper outlining details of the proposed funding was issued today to members of the Public Works Sub-committee of the Legislative Council Finance Committee.
The government's funding request will be discussed at a meeting of the Public Works Sub-committee on February 15, prior to consideration by the Finance Committee.
Of the $1,112 million being sought, $580 million will be used for works connected with the ACP and $532 million will be for non-ACP works. These will include:
the construction of 14,200 metres of roads and associated drainage systems, landscaping and noise mitigation measures;
the construction of a new subway, the extension of an existing subway and the construction of a footbridge to provide for pedestrian access to the Airport Railway Kowloon Station as well as future developments and public open space in the vicinity;