The suspension may be needed as additional funding has not yet been approved to meet the cost overruns on the project, which is already delayed. Suspending the project would cost HK$233m (£21.6m) per month and would affect 7,000 workers, resulting in further delays to the already and more claims being filed by contractors.
Secretary for transport and housing Professor Anthony Cheung said that the plan will outline the steps for carrying out the works suspension in case the Legislative Council Finance Committee cannot approve additional funding for the project by the end of March.
He added that the government will be forced to suspend the project if it is assessed that there is no prospect of the committee approving the funding by the end of March. The government is worried that the funding may not be approved on time as there are usually no meetings during the Easter break.
In a separate announcement yesterday, chief secretary Carrie Lam stressed that the government is determined to complete the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link by the target date of the third quarter of 2018. Lam said that, despite the cost overruns and construction delays, the government will try its very best to adhere to the latest schedule. She urged lawmakers to learn about the rail link's importance to Hong Kong and approve additional funding for the project soon.
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