The bill for the construction of the Sha Tin-Central rail link has soared by almost one third to HK$79.8 billion, the government announced yesterday.
The increase, blamed on the rising cost of construction material, will see costs rise by HK$20 billion more than original estimates by the time the line is completed in 2020.
Lawmakers said the increase - which has come to light just two weeks after the government said the cost of the eight-month delay to the scheme due to a legal challenge would be minimal - was too much and urged the government to control construction costs more tightly.
The Legislative Council will be asked to approve a government request for HK$57.3 billion for the second stage of funding for the project on Friday.
'We will try our best to explain to the Legco members [the reason for the extra cost],' a Transport and Housing Bureau spokesman said. 'Most of the sum arises from inflation in the cost of construction materials, the price of which rose by 50 per cent between 2009 and 2011.'
Asked if the price could rise even higher, the spokesman said: 'The sum we are mentioning now is the estimate of many experts. We are confident that this expected amount is reasonable.'
According to estimates in September last year, the link was projected to cost HK$64.9 billion.
