Hong Kong | USD4 billion border project reportedly running late

USD4 billion border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen will be delayed until the middle of next year as a key contractor, Leighton Contractors (Asia) Ltd., encounters problems, the South China Morning Post reported.

The border control point in the northeastern New Territories was due to be finished this year, the SCMP reported yesterday.

Hong Kong’s government this month suspended Leighton, part of Australia’s CIMIC Group Ltd., from tendering for public works for 12 months over “construction issues” at a subway station. That was part of the fall-out from a safety investigation that also led to a management shake-up at railway operator MTR Corp.

Labor disputes have triggered delays at the border project, the SCMP cited one unnamed source as saying. An unnamed government spokeswoman referred to bad weather. Telephone and email messages left with Leighton’s offices in Hong Kong were not immediately returned.

Leighton is the main contractor on a HKD7.1 billion ($910 million) passenger terminal building at the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai border crossing, the SCMP said. The overall HKD33.7 billion project was originally budgeted at HKD25 billion, the SCMP said. AP

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