Dragages Hong Kong and VSL, subsidiaries of Bouygues Construction⁽¹⁾, have just been awarded, in a joint venture with the constructor China Harbour, a contract which, overall, is worth 12.9 billion Hong Kong dollars (1.25 billion euros) including provisional sums. At this point, Bouygues Construction is recording an order of 6.3 billion Hong Kong dollars (607 million euros). This contract covers the completion of the first section of the bridge between Hong Kong and the cities of Zhuhai and Macao. Its amount makes this contract the largest design-build contract ever awarded in Hong Kong.

The joint venture will construct a section of the bridge measuring 9.4 kilometres, from the International Airport Island to the boundary of Hong Kong territorial waters. This bridge will support a dual three-lane carriageway over Hong Kong's deep western waters.

The joint venture will also have to carry out the electrical and mechanical engineering works, along with the installation of marine navigational aids, a ship impact protection system, and the maintenance and monitoring management systems for the structure of the bridge.

The completion of this project represents a number of major challenges. The bulk of the works are to be completed using marine-based equipment, requiring special logistical arrangements. At the same time, navigational channels must be maintained open throughout construction. Lastly, because of its proximity to the airport, very strict height restrictions will also need to be observed. Precise and meticulous planning of design and logistics factors will be crucial to the success of the project.

The works will commence in mid-2012, and will involve 800 staff at peak periods and close to 400 people in the manufacture of the structural components. The project will last nearly four and a half years (54 months), with handover planned in 2016.

The project will adhere to strict environmental guidelines in all respects (air quality, water quality, fishery protection, waste management, etc.). Significant emphasis will be placed on conservation of the natural environment, so as to minimise disturbance to the seabed and protect the endangered local Chinese White Dolphins.

The Hong Kong - Zhuhai - Macao bridge is one of ten major infrastructure projects which have been launched by the Hong Kong Government since 2007. It forms part of the Chinese programme intended to strengthen links between cities in the region, and will link Hong Kong with Zhuhai and Macao, two cities located on the other side of the Pearl River Delta. 

This new contract confirms the dynamism of Bouygues Construction in Hong Kong, along with its subsidiaries VSL, which has had a significant presence in Asia since the 1970s-1980s, and Dragages Hong Kong.

Based in Hong Kong for more than 60 years, Dragages has been involved in the main infrastructure projects within the region. The bridge will be located in the International Airport Zone, where Dragages currently operates the international AsiaWorld-Expo convention and exhibition centre. Dragages Hong Kong is also involved in several building projects, including a major cruise ship terminal designed by Norman Foster, and various tunnels. 
  
⁽¹⁾ Dragages Hong Kong works in most of Bouygues Construction's fields: design, engineering, construction, financing, long-term operation and maintenance, electrical and mechanical engineering. VSL is a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction specialised in post-tensioning systems, heaving lifting and cable stay systems for bridges. Post-tensioning is a technique for improving the mechanical properties of concrete through the addition of steel cables incorporated into the structure, which are then subjected to tension.