A bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau would not pose serious ecological and environmental problems to the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong's environmental chief said yesterday.
Yuan Zheng said the proposal was still being studied by the province's transport department.
Mr Yuan, director-general of the Guangdong Environmental Protection Bureau, said: 'Preliminary environmental assessment has been done, but more detailed studies are needed once the project gets the go-ahead.'
Last week, Guangdong Governor Lu Ruihua said there were ecological problems with the proposal. It is understood the provincial authorities fear the project might affect the tidal flow in the Pearl River Delta and that cities upstream could face an increased flooding risk.
But Mr Yuan, speaking after an environmental conference at the Chinese University yesterday, said construction of the Humen Bridge, which crosses the Pearl River estuary linking Dongguan and Panyu, showed that the impact on the water flow was minimal.
'There is bound to be some impact on the water environment. We have to find ways to minimise and mitigate the impact. But there are differences between the two projects. I think that there should not be a big problem with the Zhuhai bridge.'
