Short-cut bridge alleviates congestion on busy runway

Such was Hong Kong’s popularity as a business and leisure destination, Kai Tak was, by the early 1990s, facing heavy congestion. The decision was taken to construct a bridge, providing a short-cut from the runway, thus reducing taxiing time.

To accelerate the project, Dragages began to work on the foundations while the bridge design details were still being finalised. Special requirements included a load-bearing capacity equivalent to two fully-laden Boeing 747-400Fs and a bridge platform height sufficient to allow a fireboat to pass underneath.

During the construction process, Dragages had to overcome a number of constraints. Some construction activities were strictly limited between midnight and 5:00 am and tall equipment had to be lowered rapidly to facilitate takeoff and landing of planes.