Arow over protection of historic buildings has led Hong Kong legislators to block plans to give extra financing for the Central Kowloon Route, a dual three-lane highway which includes a 3.8km long tunnel.
The Highways Department wants US$12M in extra funding for more engineering studies after the total length of highway was increased to 4.7km. The route includes an immersed tube tunnel between Kowloon City ferry pier and the former Kai Tak airport.
But legislators rejected the request because the government could not guarantee that it would preserve an 80-year police station on the highway alignment. Almost the same in study funding was applied for in part to examine if the station needed to be demolished.
The Department warned that if the funding request was turned down the project would stall. It is due for completion in 2016.
Concern over the future of the police station came to the fore following violent protests in mid-December after the 49-year old Star Ferry Pier was demolished for harbour reclamation. The plan is to use reclaimed land partly for new road and rail tunnels.
In the late 1990s, Mouchel Asia carried out initial studies for the Central Kowloon route to connect Yau Ma Tei district with Kai Tak.
