HK$1.13 billion price tag for Hong Kong New Territories highway study questioned; lawmaker says city goes at ‘turtle speed’ on big road projects
- Legco hears evaluation study on east-west link in New Territories expected to take 38 months
- Lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok questions cost and says Hong Kong needs to ‘loosen restrictions and streamline the process’ to compete with rest of Greater Bay Area
Hong Kong lawmakers were shocked after they were told of a massive HK$1.13 billion (US$144.4 million) price tag and the time needed for an evaluation of a proposed highway to connect the east and west of the New Territories as part of the huge Northern Metropolis project.
The Legislative Council’s transport panel on Friday discussed the funding proposal for a three-year-plus study on the design and impact of construction of a road to speed traffic in the New Territories with the first part scheduled to be completed in the 2030s.
But lawmaker Lo Wai-kwok said he was concerned at the proposed cost of the 38-month study. He questioned why it would take “more than HK$1.1 billion for preliminary study and site investigation instead of completing the highway construction”.
“Many mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area can complete road projects within a few years,” Lo added. “We need to loosen restrictions and streamline the process … how can we compete with them at such a ‘turtle speed’?”
The Greater Bay Area refers to Beijing’s plan to turn Hong Kong and Macau, along with nine cities in Guangdong province, into an economic powerhouse.
The proposed Northern Metropolis Highway would be about 23km (14.3 miles) long and connect Tin Shui Wai, San Tin, Kwu Tung and the New Territories North New Town.
One of the four sections is scheduled to be completed between 2034 and 2038 and the rest would be commissioned from 2039 on.
