In response to media enquiries on a news report about "another collapse at the reclamation area of the Hong Kong Link Road" under the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project, the Highways Department responded today (February 27) as follows:

     According to records, the contractor for the construction of the Hong Kong Link Road (HKLR) carried out the reclamation works in accordance with the original design and plans near the aeronautical lights at the South Runway of the Hong Kong International Airport. The contractor constructed a temporary rockfill platform at the seaside off the designed seawall location from June to August 2014, installed some stone columns from August to September 2014, and then constructed a temporary seawall from October 2014 to May 2015, followed by earth filling work at the landward side behind the temporary seawall and finally the removal of the temporary rockfill platform. All relevant works are the normal process of the reclamation works, including the construction and subsequent removal of the temporary rockfill platform.

     During the construction period, continuous monitoring was carried out by engineering staff and the records show that no abnormal extension of the seawall occurred at the location concerned (i.e. the reclamation works near the aeronautical lights at the South Runway of the Hong Kong International Airport). The media speculation of "seawall collapse at the reclamation area of the Hong Kong Link Road", based on individual aerial photographs of the reclamation works, is untrue. In fact, the situation shown in the aerial photograph of September 2014 included in the media report was the normal construction of the temporary rockfill platform and installation of stone columns, and those shown in the aerial photographs of October and December 2014 and January 2015 were the construction of the temporary seawall. The "dark areas" in January 2015 mentioned by the media were actually parts of the temporary rockfill platform exposed above the water surface. No "seawall collapse" occurred at the reclamation works near the aeronautical lights at the South Runway of the Hong Kong International Airport.
      
     Both the HKLR reclamation works and the temporary rockfill platform are constructed within the gazetted boundary for the foreshore and/or seabed affected by the proposed reclamation works. The reclamation works carried out by the contractor did not extend beyond the relevant boundary. The relevant requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment have been fulfilled. All environmental mitigation measures specified in the Environmental Permit for the reclamation works have been implemented including installation of silt curtains at the works boundary to prevent dispersion of silt from the site to the adjacent waters.

Ends/Monday, February 27, 2017
Issued at HKT 11:35

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