A $2.76-billion contract has been awarded to international consortium Maeda-Hitachi-Yokogawa-Hsin Chong Joint Venture for constructing the 1,596-metre long Stonecutters Bridge.

The bridge, scheduled for completion in June 2008, will be constructed in a cable-stayed form, with a blueprint adopted from the winning design of an international competition held in 2000.

Engineering feat: Director of Highways Mak Chai-kwong (left), Secretary for Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Liao, and a contractor representative at the contract-signing ceremony. The Stonecutters Bridge (middle & right), with a world-record span of 1,018 metres, will straddle the world's busiest container port in Kwai Chung.

It will have a world-record span of 1,018 metres - much longer than the Tatara Bridge in Japan, which is currently the world's longest cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 890 metres.

Awarding the contract today, Secretary for Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Laio said the Stonecutters Bridge, together with the completion of major highway infrastructure such as the Hong Kong - Shenzhen Western Corridor and Deep Bay Link in the years ahead, will strengthen Hong Kong's role as an international world class city.

Bridge to be defining piece of architecture

She continued: "This is more than an engineering feat in which our engineers will no doubt take pride. This is a defining piece of architecture for Hong Kong and a reflection of the confidence of this world city to rise up to the challenges of the new millennium."

The bridge project is another clear demonstration of the Government's commitment to investing in the city's future.  Its construction will create 1,400 jobs. 

Dr Liao noted the bridge will be a key component of Route 8 linking up Tsing Yi with Sha Tin. 

"This new highway will provide direct access to Container Terminals No. 8 and No. 9 in Kwai Chung, which will further enhance Hong Kong as an important international logistics and transportation hub," she said

Director of Highways Mak Chai-kwong pointed out that apart from the world-record bridge span, the deck of Stonecutters Bridge will also be one of the world's highest.

"The Kwai Chung Container Terminal is one of the world's busiest ports. To allow navigation for container vessels, the bridge deck has to be built with a vertical clearance of at least 73.5 metres above sea level," Mr Mak said.

The two circular steel-concrete bridge towers will literally touch the sky, at almost 300 metres in height. Neighbouring bridges boast less lofty towers. The Tsing Ma Bridge is 206 metres high and the Ting Kau Bridge is 200 metres.