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ACP projects head towards completion
The Airport Core Programme (ACP), one of the world's largest infrastructure projects, is on schedule for progressive completion, the Director of the New Airport Projects Co-ordination Office, Mr Billy Lam, said today (Saturday) at an international conference which is being held in San Francisco,
He told the Worldwide Infrastructure Partnerships Conference sponsored by Forbes Magazine that eight of the 10 ACP projects will be open for public use in the coming months starting next week. More than 500 international experts are attending the conference.
These eight projects include the world's largest road and rail suspension bridge, cross-harbour and road tunnels as well as expressways. Together they will form a 34- kilometre transport corridor linking Hong Kong Island to the new town at Tung Chung near the replacement airport at Chek Lap Kok.
"The opening of the transport corridor marks a major new chapter in the history of Hong Kong's infrastructure development. To commemorate the occasion, the Hong Kong Government is planning to hold a series of exciting events.
"A number of opening ceremonies will be held to commemorate the completion of the projects. These will culminate in a ceremony at the Lantau Link to symbolise the completion of the entire transport corridor.
"The first two projects to open are the West Kowloon Expressway and Kwai Chung Viaduct. They will be opened to traffic on Thursday following an opening ceremony on the previous day. This will be followed by the opening of the Sai Yin Pun section of Route 7 on February 26 following an opening ceremony on the day before.
"On May 21, the other components of the ACP transport corridor, that is the Rambler Channel Bridge, Cheung Ching Tunnel, North Lantau Expressway, Western Harbour Crossing, and Lantau Link, will also open to traffic," Mr Lam added.
Mr Lam said celebration events would include an international marathon race. There would also be charity walks along the Lantau Link and the Western Harbour Crossing. He invited participants of the conference "to come and join us in celebrating this important milestone for Hong Kong".