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"As many projects are coming to fruition, the time has now come to reap the harvest. The West Kowloon Expressway, Kwai Chung Viaduct, Rambler Channel Bridge and Cheung Ching Tunnel have been completed recently and some have already been opened to traffic.
"The Western Harbour Crossing and the Lantau Link will also be complete later this month. By May 22 this year, the balance of the above highways will be open to traffic and we shall be able to travel on this first class transport corridor all the way from Hong Kong Island to Tung Chung and in April 1998 to the new airport," he said.
Mr Kwong said that various activities had been organised to commemorate the completion of the road link to the airport, including an international duathlon race on the North Lantau Expressway on April 20, an opening ceremony of the Lantau Link on April 27, an international marathon and 10-kilometre run on the Lantau Link and the North Lantau Expressway on May 4 and the Community Chest's Walk for a Million on the Lantau Link on May 11.
"These international events will, I trust, bring our new infrastructure works to the attention of our international friends, and will enable the public to experience the scale and magnificence of this highway before it is opened to traffic," he said.
Mr Kwong later performed the ribbon-cutting with other officiating guests, including the acting Secretary for Transport, Mr Paul Leung, Director of Highways, Mr KS Leung, and Director of the New Airport Projects Co-ordination Office, Mr Billy Lam.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr K S Leung said that the North Lantau Expressway is a dual three-lane, high speed road running along the northern coast of Lantau Island. It connects the Lantau Link at the east with the new airport at Chek Lap Kok at the west.
The expressway project also provides a services road to accommodate public utilities to serve the new airport and the Tung Chung New Town. This special road would reduce the effect of utility maintenance on expressway traffic to a minimum, he said.
Mr Leung said that the expressway represented an "international effort" with consultants and contractors from various parts of the world participating in the project, including Hong Kong, China, Australia, Germany, Holland, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.