Govt lowers Sha Tin Trunk Road estimated cost
The government has put forward minor tweaks to the planned construction of a new road in Sha Tin in hopes of cutting the estimated cost of the project by five percent to HK$6.81 billion amid criticism of its hefty price tag.  In a revised funding request for the Trunk Road T4, the administration said the changes would not affect the functionality of the project.  "In response to concerns currently about the situation of public finances, we tried to reduce the cost of this project as much as possible," the Legco paper wrote.  "We hope to win the support of lawmakers so that the project can be carried out in a timely manner and avoid delaying yet again the long-term development of New Territories East and the Northern Metropolis." Authorities last month withdrew its application to the Legislative Council of more than HK$7.1 billion in funding for the planned T4 project, which connects major roads on both sides of the Shing Mun River, as critics questioned whether the scheme is worth the money. To cut cost, the government said it will switch to using traditional materials to build noise barriers for the project, which in turn is expected to save HK$120 million.  "This will not affect the function of noise barriers. Currently, traditional materials are commonly used in other construction projects," it said.  Other changes include scrapping a proposed elevated cycling track across Shing Mun River, and reducing the number of elevators at footbridges to further shave off around HK$100 million.  Lawmakers are set to discuss the revised funding request during a Finance Committee meeting next week.