Engineer casts doubt on new target to finish Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai bridge

The government's new target to finish Hong Kong's portion of the 42km Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge by the end of 2017 might be too optimistic, according to an engineering expert.

Another year might be needed to finish the job, said Yim Kin-ping, former chairman of the civil division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.

But even with the new completion date, the public might have to wait for at least two more years before they can use the bridge to cross into the Pearl River Delta because of construction delays on mainland China that would be beyond the control of the Hong Kong government.

In March, Li Chunhong, director of Guangdong's Development and Reform Commission, said the bridge might not open until 2020 due to the technical difficulties of building the underwater tunnel that forms part of the bridge.

"[The new deadline] seems a bit tight," said Yim, a geotechnical engineer, who previously worked for the Mass Transit Railway Corporation and the government. "The weather is an unpredictable factor. Typhoons and rains will delay the project. If there are not enough barges, construction on the sea could be slowed down."

When asked what would happen if Guangdong could not finish its portion of the bridge at the same time as Hong Kong, Yim said: "That means [Hong Kong's section of the bridge] would be sitting under the sun."

On Wednesday night, the Highways Department confirmed that Hong Kong's boundary crossing facilities and associated link roads would miss its 2016 deadline.