Hong Kong architect Aedas and UK firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP) have been awarded roles on the troubled 55km link between mainland China, Macao and Hong Kong.
The architects will work with Aecom on the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facility (HKBCF), the screening point for vehicles on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Construction on the bridge began in December 2009, and was due to be complete in 2016, but has been halted due to fatalities, faked material tests, environmental concerns and funding issues.
When finally finished, the bridge will reduce travel time between Hong Kong and Macau from four and a half hours to 40 minutes.
Image courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour
The HKBCF will cover 130ha of a 150ha artificial island reclaimed from the open waters to the north east of Chek Lap Kok, the reclaimed island that hosts Hong Kong International Airport.
The remaining 20ha will be used for the link between Tuen Mun in Hong Kong’s New Territories and Chek Lap Kok, which Aecom was already working on.
RSHP says the $17bn development will benefit from the proximity to the airport’s transport links, including the SkyPier Ferry Terminal and the MTR’s Airport Express and Tung Chung lines.Â
It adds that the HKBCF will "aim to meet the highest standards for new developments and use innovative green technologies".
The route of the crossing (Kelly Kaneshiro/Creative Commons)
Keith Griffiths, chairman of Aedas, said: "The bridge will provide essential connectivity to roughly 120 million people who live in the Pearl River region to the south – one of China’s three great megapoles formed by the conjunction of Hong Kong, Macao, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou."
The bridge and HKBCF are scheduled to open in 2018.
Top image courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
