Artist’s impression: Stonecutters Bridge with a world record span of 1,018 metres will straddle the world’s busiest container port in Kwai Chung

Hong Kong is planning to build the world’s longest cable-stayed bridge, a move seen as further enhancing Hong Kong as an important international logistics hub.

The HK$2.76 billion (US$355 million) Stonecutters Bridge contract was awarded to a consortium of three Japanese companies and a Hong Kong construction company - the Maeda-Hitachi-Yokogawa-Hsin Chong Joint Venture.

The new six-lane 1.6 km long bridge stretching from Stonecutters Island to Tsing Yi will serve as a crucial link to connect the eastern New Territories with Hong Kong International Airport and North Lantau. It will also straddle the Rambler Channel at the entrance of the Kwai Chung Container Port regarded as the busiest port in the world.

“Stonecutters Bridge is more than an engineering feat. This is a defining piece of architecture for Hong Kong,” said Secretary for Environment, Transport & Works Dr Sarah Liao. “This new highway will provide direct access to Container Terminals No 8 and 9 in Kwai Chung which will further enhance Hong Kong as an important international logistics and transportation hub.”

Stonecutters Bridge will also be a top tourist attraction in addition to being an important future landmark for the city. There would be a viewing platform on Tsing Yi and an exhibition hall featuring the construction process.

Scheduled to be completed by June 2008, the design for the Stonecutters Bridge was earlier won by an international design competition held in 2000. The winner was an international team comprising Halcrow Group and Flint & Neill Partnership of the UK, Dissing + Weitling of Denmark and the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute.

More details in Stonecutters Bridge contract awarded

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