Airport Core Programme

The Hong Kong Airport Core Programme (zh-t|t=香港機場核心計劃) was a series of infrastructural works organised by the government of Hong Kong during the 1990s, with the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok as its central project. The programme was part of Port and Airport Development Strategy, more commonly known as Rose Garden Project. The whole plan cost HK$ 160.2 billion (160,200,000,000). [cite web|url=http://legacy.transparency.org/working_papers/country/hk_airport.html|title=Working Paper: Hong Kong: The Airport Core Programme and the Absence of Corruption|publisher=Transparency International|accessdate=2007-06-11]

History

After the Second World War, there had been plans to replace the old Kai Tak Airport with a new one. However, due to financial and political reasons, the plan was abandoned in 1951, while the Hong Kong Government decided to expand the original airport instead. cite book|author=Sung Hin-lun|title=A Hundred Years of Aviation in Hong Kong|publisher=Joint Publishing|year=2003|id=ISBN 962-04-2188-4|accessdate=2007-06-11]

In the 1970s, as there was great development in the economy of Hong Kong, the idea was mentioned again. The Government earmarked Chek Lap Kok as the new airport's site. However, the plan was shelved in 1983 because the future of Hong Kong was not clear and the then government did not have a large enough budget for such an expensive project.

In 1984, as the Sino-British Joint Declaration was settled, the Hong Kong government decided to go forward with the plan. The plan was announced on October 11, 1989 by the then Governor Wilson, and it was perceived as part of the government's effort to reinstate confidence in Hong Kong after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The Hong Kong public was initially surprised by the huge budget and there were concerns if it would drain much of public revenue. [cite web|url=http://www.hku.hk/hkcer/articles/v5/rkwong.htm|title=The New Airport and Aviation in Hong Kong: A New Perspective|publisher=Kai-sun Kwong|accessdate=2007-06-11] The programme was completed as the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok opened in July 1998.

Projects

The programme included:

*Construction of a new Hong Kong International Airport north of Lantau Island
*Building of bridges (including the Tsing Ma Bridge) to connect Lantau Island with Kowloon Peninsula
*Construction of expressways between the new airport and the urban area
*Land reclamation in west Kowloon for construction of roadways
*Construction of a third cross-harbour tunnel (Western Harbour Crossing) between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island
*Land reclamation in the northern part of Hong Kong Island to make way for roads
*Development of a new town in Tung Chung on northern Lantau
*Construction of a high speed rail line connecting the airport and Tung Chung with urban areas

Exhibition

*An exhibition centre, Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre, introducing the programme is located in Ting Kau near Tsuen Wan in Hong Kong.

External links

* [http://www.info.gov.hk/napco/index-e.html Airport Core Program website]

References

* CONEXPO-CON/AGG '99 (1999). " [http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/julaug99/topten.htm Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century] . ISBN 0-9530219-5-5. Retrieved on November 10, 2005.