Metropolis to look north for infrastructural direction

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn said on Saturday that the government will make improvements to infrastructure and industrial layout plans for the Northern Metropolis to ensure they are aligned with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan. Officiating at an opening ceremony a day ahead of the commissioning of the first major transport infrastructure project in the metropolis, she said the four-kilometre Fanling Bypass (Eastern Section) would serve residents in Fanling North's first public housing project, due to be completed this year. Linn also said land acquisition and infrastructure development in North District had entered the final stages and that authorities would make improvements to various developments in the Northern Metropolis. "The commencement of the bypass is just the beginning," she said. "The government will continue to improve the industrial layout, transport network and community amenities at the Northern Metropolis. "We will do our best to develop the Northern Metropolis into a new engine that would drive Hong Kong's development, to inject new economic vitality and create a better living environment for residents." The bypass stretches from Kau Lung Hang, Tai Po, connecting to Shek Wu San Tsuen in North District and the Fanling North New Development Area. Motorists can save approximately 10 minutes during peak hours by using the bypass to travel between Lung Yeuk Tau, Luen Wo Hui and Fanling Highway. Edited by Thomas McAlinden