Construction of the Shenzhen side's cross-boundary passenger terminal building for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor has started.

Deputy Secretary for Security Michael Wong led a delegation of Government officials to attend a ceremony in Shenzhen marking the start of the building's construction today.

The passenger terminal is a key building of the control point for the corridor. It has a floor area of about 55,000 square metres and an ancillary area of 10,000 square metres. It will primarily provide clearance facilities for coaches and passenger traffic.

Building to be divided into two parts

The passenger terminal building's interior will be divided into two symmetrical parts to accommodate the immigration, customs, inspection and quarantine facilities of both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen sides.

The recently-concluded Seventh Plenary of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference agreed in principle to name the new control point for the corridor "Shenzhen Bay Control Point" and to plan on the basis of providing round-the-clock clearance services in future.

It is estimated that the new control point will be able to handle a peak hourly traffic of about 150 coaches, 1,640 private cars and 2,600 goods vehicles in one direction.

HK side's construction to begin in October

Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities signed an entrustment agreement on the construction of the boundary-crossing facilities of the Hong Kong side for the corridor on July 22.

Construction works for the Hong Kong side's passenger terminal building is expected to begin in October.