Visible are the three SCM saddle-jib cranes and the Wolff luffer in the background.

At 1,596m long with a cable-stayed main span of 1,018m, it follows in the recent tradition of impressive Hong Kong structures and will be one of the longest cable-stay bridges in the world. And with a minimum airdraft of 73.5m for the passage of super container vessels, its deck will also be one of the world’s highest.

Designed by Arup, it is being built by the Maeda-Hitachi-Yokogawa-Hsin Chong Joint Venture under a US$350m contract that runs from April 2004 to June 2008. China Harbour Engineering is building the approach spans.


In the background, the Wolff luffer is visible on the Kowloon-side bridge pier

On each of the two main piers that support the main span is a Wolff 320 luffing tower crane to pour concrete. Each is accompanied by four SCM H3-36B saddle jib cranes for the approach columns. The heavy lifting, however, for the precast concrete deck sections, is carried out by a special launching gantry.


The hoisting gantry places a deck section on the Kowloon side

China Harbour Engineering relies more on crawler cranes for pouring the concrete to form the columns, including a Kobelco CKE250 with luffing jib, on hire from Chim Kee, on one side of the channel, and another CKE250 from Yung Sing on the other side. There are also numerous older models helping to pour concrete and lift precast deck sections, either from local rental companies or Tat Hong of Singapore.