Government proposes reclaiming 80 hectares of land and building a 2.2km bridge to Lantau
Details of the $12 billion super-jail on Hei Ling Chau were released yesterday, with the government claiming it was the most environmentally friendly option.
But green groups were swift to express their dissatisfaction, saying it could open the door to other developments in what was a proposed conservation zone.
In a feasibility study released yesterday, the Civil Engineering Department proposed spending $1.5 billion to reclaim 80 hectares of land at the Hei Ling Chau typhoon shelter for the prison.
A further $900 million would be used to build a 2.2km bridge and a 350-metre bypass linking the western tip of the island to Mui Wo and the South Lantau Road. An estimated 700 vehicles a day would use the bridge, although most prison staff would get to the island by boat.
The construction proposal was chosen from eight reclamation options and four road link options studied by consultant Mott Connell. Officials said the proposal had already addressed visual and environmental concerns previously raised over the project.
The new prison is meant to replace eight of the 24 jails now in use.
