Highway upgrades: Secretary for Transport & Housing Eva Cheng inspects the progress of the Tuen Mun Road improvement works.

The Transport & Housing Bureau will focus on job creation and the early implementation of infrastructure projects in 2009, Secretary for Transport & Housing Eva Cheng says, adding projects under the bureau will create 40,000 jobs.

After inspecting improvement works on Tuen Mun Road this afternoon, Ms Cheng told reporters major transport infrastructure projects worth $28.6 billion are in progress or in the pipeline to cope with the rapid development of Tuen Mun and the Northwest New Territories.

These include Tuen Mun Road's reconstruction and improvement, construction of the Tuen Mun Western Bypass and Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link, garnering 10,000 jobs in total.

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link project will bring 6,000 job opportunities while the West Island Line will create more than 2,000 jobs. Both projects are scheduled to start in 2009.

"These employment opportunities will help alleviate the difficulties faced by our citizens and boost the economy," Ms Cheng said.

The Tuen Mun Road works are divided into three parts - widening the road from dual-two lane to dual three-lane at Tsing Tin Interchange, reconstruction and improvement along the expressway, and road-widening works near Tuen Mun Town Centre.

The works at Tsing Tin Interchange - which included installing noise barriers and low-noise surfacing - will be completed by the end of 2009, while the rest will take up to 2014 to finish.

Dispute consensus urged

On the labour dispute concerning airport ground crew, Ms Cheng urged employer and staff sides to enhance communication and reach a consensus in the interest of the community.

Noting the Labour Department is mediating the case, she added the Airport Authority is co-ordinating contingency measures with airlines, bureaux and departments.