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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at the media session today (October 24):
Reporter: Chief Executive, last night the bridge closure caused a lot of chaos. What did you discuss with the Highways Department and Airport Authority this morning? What improvement measures need to be ... ?
Chief Executive: Firstly let me say this. We have now identified the tug boat and also the barge. The vessels are now being inspected and the people concerned have given statements. Secondly, there is an alternative route, there will be in about three years. This is Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link, which is going to be the longest undersea tunnel in Hong Kong. It will be 9.1 kilometer long, which is about four times the length of Tsing Ma Bridge. It will provide an important link and thus an alternative route to and from the airport if something similar to the incident last night occurs again after the completion of this link in about three years. We review the situation, I chair the meeting this morning and I am asking for more detailed reports, but I think all the departments and the corporations concerned including Airport Authority and the MTRC have done the best to shorten the disruption as much as possible. But there is always room for improvement and therefore, we are looking at the possibility of, or the practicability of releasing up-to-the-minute information to people using the airport, and also other parts of Lantau in a speedier way using the latest technology.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Saturday, October 24, 2015
Issued at HKT 14:44
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