ENG-2001 — Page 339

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Line. Following the Government's endorsement of the KCRC's proposal to adopt the tunnel cum viaduct approach as the way forward for the Spur Line, an amended scheme was gazetted in December under the Railways Ordinance. Subject to the completion of the relevant statutory process, it is expected construction work on the Spur Line project will commence in late 2002 with a target completion date in mid- 2007.

The MTR Corporation Limited expects to complete the construction of its 12.5- kilometre Tseung Kwan O Extension in 2002. This project involves the building of a Tseung Kwan O Line that will provide a direct service between the new town and Hong Kong Island.

The corporation also continued with the detailed design for the Penny's Bay Rail Link on Lantau Island. This is a 3.5-kilometre single-track system that will connect a new Yam O station on the existing Tung Chung Line to Penny's Bay where the Hong Kong Disneyland is to be built. Construction of the railway is expected to start in 2002 for commissioning in 2005.

New railway projects planned for completion between 2008 and 2016 include the Sha Tin to Central Link, the Island Line Extensions, the Kowloon Southern Link and the Northern Link. Development of the Regional Express Line and the Port Rail Line will depend on the growth of cross-boundary passenger and freight traffic, respectively. These projects will involve a total investment of another $100 billion.

Road Projects

Several strategic road projects are under study and design with the aim of further expanding and improving the road network.

One of the largest projects is Route 9. The Tsing Yi and Cheung Sha Wan section. of this dual three-lane expressway will connect the West Kowloon Highway and the North-West Tsing Yi Interchange. It will also provide access to the Container Terminal 8 and the Container Terminal 9, which is under construction. An international competition has been held on the conceptual design of the main element of the route the Stonecutters Bridge, which will have a span of about 1 000 metres. Route 9's Cheung Sha Wan and Sha Tin section will connect West Kowloon at Cheung Sha Wan and Sha Tin at Tai Wai.

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Another project, the Shenzhen Western Corridor, will provide an additional cross- boundary link between Shekou in Shenzhen and Ngau Hom Shek in Hong Kong. The new road is envisaged as a 5.1-kilometre dual three-lane highway, of which 3.2 kilometres will be within the HKSAR.

Route 10 between Yuen Long Highway and North Lantau is planned as a dual three-lane expressway to provide an improved link between the northwest New Territories and North Lantau. It will also serve as a second extension road link to Lantau in the event that the Lantau Link has to be closed because of emergency. The main feature of this highway is a grand suspension bridge, the Tsing Lung Bridge. With a span of 1 418 metres, the Tsing Lung Bridge will become the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world.

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