The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong is urging the government to move faster to link Tuen Mun and Chek Lap Kok airport with a western bypass.
The party expressed concern about the congestion the traffic network in the northwestern part of the New Territories will face with the opening of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor on Sunday and the proposed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which will arrive in Hong Kong at San Shek Wan, just south of the airport.
The government has introduced three proposals - a tunnel going through Lam Tei; a bypass west of downtown Tuen Mun; and a bypass east of it - to join the corridor near the KCR Light Rail's Lam Tei station and the airport to relieve the traffic burden in the area.
Cheung Hok-ming, the DAB's spokesman on planning and engineering, said a western bypass between Tuen Mun and Chek Lap Kok was the best choice to help residents and stimulate the local economy.
'The western bypass is the shortest in terms of distance, and would only take 13 minutes to shuttle between the northwest part of the New Territories and the airport,' he said. He also suggested the government extend West Rail to the airport.
Chan Wan-sang, the DAB's Tuen Mun District Council member, said the other proposals had significant weaknesses. He said the eastern bypass would have to go past property estates, driving up noise levels, while Lam Tei Tunnel would duplicate existing No3 Road traffic. 'A western bypass ... would greatly stimulate business activity in the region.'