Bridging the gap: The Chief Executive in Council has made an order to provide for a temporary exemption from the environmental permit requirement for operating the Shenzhen Bay Bridge's Shenzhen section.

The Chief Executive in Council has made an order to provide for a temporary exemption from the environmental permit requirement for operating the Shenzhen Bay Bridge's Shenzhen section.

The order will take effect for 12 months starting from the date when the Shenzhen Bay Port operates - or until the Director of Environmental Protection issues the required permit, whichever is the earlier.

The Highways Department will apply for the permit under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance during the exemption period.

The department will also need to implement in the Shenzhen section, where applicable, the same environmental mitigation and monitoring measures set out in the permit for the Hong Kong section

The Environmental Protection Department said the order allows the bridge to open to traffic when the new cross-boundary control point at the Shenzhen Bay Port comes into operation.

The Highways Department can only initiate the statutory application procedure to apply for the permit after the laws of Hong Kong are applicable to the Shenzhen section. The community would find the delay in operating the Hong Kong Port Area pending the application and issue of the environmental permit for the operation of the Shenzhen section unacceptable.