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Building blocks of progress

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The record-breaking Stonecutters Bridge may be Hong Kong's most prominent new architectural landmark, but the HK$1.1billion Lai Chi Kok Viaduct, a key link of the new Route8, is a far more complex engineering challenge, according to an engineer who works on the project.

Francis Kung, project director for international design and engineering consultant Hyder Consulting, said the 1.4km section nearing completion was 'probably the most complex urban viaduct project ever undertaken in Hong Kong'.

A total of 1,766 pre-cast concrete segments, ranging from 20 to 80 tonnes, have been lifted into place for the overhead road section that twists around a densely built-up area - and above three existing highways.

A specially adapted launching gantry weighing more than 900 tonnes and measuring 172 metres - one of the largest in Hong Kong - raised most of the giant segments into place. Lifting frames were also necessary to hoist segments into place around several sharp bends.

'The technique was adopted to cope with the need to carry out construction over live traffic in the busy East Kowloon area, where more than 300,000 vehicles pass through the site boundary every day,' Mr Kung said.

'Construction was also complicated by the proximity of buildings and flyovers to the main roads below.'

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