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For Information File Ref : ETWB(T)CR 1/4661/00 Legislative Council Panel on Transport The Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macao Bridge (“the Bridge”) PURPOSE This paper provides Members with supplementary information on the justification for the Bridge and the location of its landing point in North West Lantau. BACKGROUND 2. At the meeting of the LegCo Panel on Transport held on 29 September 2003, we briefed Members on the latest progress of the arrangements for taking forward the advance work for the Bridge and sought Members’ support for a funding application to be made to the Public Works Subcommittee and the Finance Committee of this Council for an investigation and preliminary design study. We also undertook to provide more information on the justification for the Bridge project and the location of its landing point in North West Lantau. THE STRATEGIC VALUE OF THE BRIDGE 3. The study on “Transport Linkage between Hong Kong and Pearl CB(1)128/03-04(01) - 2 - River West” (PRW) commissioned by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) has concluded that there is an urgent need for a land transport link connecting Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao. Such a link would be of significant strategic value for the following reasons: (a) More direct connection with the west bank of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) At present, all our road-based transport links with the Mainland (via Sha Tau Kok, Man Kam To, Lok Ma Chau and the future Hong Kong Shenzhen Western Corridor (HK-SWC)) are routed through the northern part of the territory, connecting Hong Kong to the east bank of the PRD. There is an obvious missing link between Hong Kong and the west bank of PRD. Traffic between Hong Kong and the west bank of PRD must detour to the north via Shenzhen and Humen Bridge which is reaching saturation. The Bridge will provide a more direct link in the future. (b) Emerging opportunities in the West Bank The Mainland’s acces