Work on a US$280M road tunnel in western Shenzhen in southern China has been delayed amid concern by local residents that air pollution will be 20 times worse than officials have indicated.
The 3km tunnel, which has been partly designed by British engineering firm Halcrow, forms part of a US$1bn highway between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. A spokesman for the Shenzhen works bureau confirmed that construction of the link from the Nanshan district of Shenzhen to the city’s western suburbs, has still to start.
The tunnel was due to open in 2006, a few months later than the planned opening of other sections of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen highway. “It has not started yet because of environmental reasons,” the official said.
Residents have asked the Shenzhen authorities to change the location of two ventilation shafts or improve the treatment of exhaust fumes, but officials have so far refused. More than 58,600 vehicles a day, about 60 per cent of them trucks, are expected to use the highway.
