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Bridge span provides first link to Chek Lap Kok
The first physical link between the new airport island at Chek Lap Kok and Lantau has been completed.
This structure is a 320-metre-long road bridge crossing the sea channel between Chek Lap Kok and newly reclaimed land at Tung Chung, north Lantau. When all supporting works have been completed, the bridge will provide an access to Chek Lap Kok.
The bridge is one of three being built across the channel as part of the contract for construction of the Tung Chung section of the North Lantau Expressway (NLE), one of the 10 major projects in the Airport Core Programme.
When the project is completed, two of the bridges will carry a dual three-lane expressway and the third will carry the Airport Railway.
"This significant milestone has been achieved on schedule less than a year after the construction of the bridges began, due to the use of the incremental launching method," said the Chief Engineer of the NLE project, Highways Department, Mr Albert Cheng.
Mr Cheng said the concrete segments of the bridges were precast on site on the Tung Chung side of the channel. With the aid of sliding bearings, hydraulic jacks and a steel launching nose, the segments are slid out progressively across the channel.
This method has reduced construction time, and also enabled the bridge deck to be erected without building temporary supports in the channel. Disruption to marine traffic, including small boat services to Tung Chung village, is therefore minimised.
The Tung Chung section of the 12.5 kilometre North Lantau Expressway is being built by the China State-Leighton-Hochtief Joint Venture under a $969 million contract awarded by the Highways Department in September 1993. The contract is scheduled to be completed in September next year.
Cheng.
"Works on the entire expressway are now over 75 per cent complete," said Mr
The other parts of the expressway are the Yam O and Tai Ho sections, which are being constructed under separate contracts.
End/Tuesday, August 8, 1995