Reclamation work on Hong Kong’s third runway delayed for over four months by suspended sand supply and bad weather
- Airport Authority progress report reveals supply of fill materials from mainland was suspended in the first half of February
- Lawmaker Michael Tien questions whether there has been a cover-up after failure to report delivery problems in earlier statement
The suspension of sand supplies and bad weather have resulted in delays of more than four months on reclamation work for Hong Kong’s multibillion third runway project, the Airport Authority has revealed.
The authority said the supply of fill materials from mainland China was suspended in the first half of February but it expected new deliveries could begin by the middle of the year.
The revelations were made in a progress report to be submitted to a Legislative Council economic development panel meeting next Monday.
The authority earlier conceded the supply of fill materials had caused a delay in reclamation work, but it did not disclose the extent of the problem until now. It also maintained it could catch up and finish the entire project in 2024 as planned.
The government approved the HK$141.5 billion (US$18.1 billion) project in 2016 to meet future air traffic growth and maintain Hong Kong’s competitiveness as an international aviation hub.