China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) has selected Atkins for a four-and-half-year contract to design the Hong Kong Link Road (HKLR) at a total cost of £750m ($1.16bn).

The 12km-long link road will connect the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to the boundary crossing facilities, located at the north-eastern waters of the International Airport through a dual three-track carriageway.

Atkins director Tommy Ng said almost every engineering discipline within Atkins’ Asia Pacific business was involved in this tender, including civil engineering, geotechnical, MEP and environmental teams.

"It marks a significant step into the government infrastructure design and building market and reflects our strong connection with major Chinese contractors", Ng added.

The HKLR will partly sit in tunnel from the Scenic Hill area into the airport vicinity, while passing under the existing airport roads and railway links to reduce the visual and environmental impact on the people of Tung Chung town, as well as the existing infrastructure.

Atkins will also work on tunnel ventilation systems, tunnel control building and remediation works, as well as installing an environmental monitoring and audit programme.

Apart from the 1km-long tunnel section, a 1.6km at-grade roadwork passes through a 23 hectare area along the east coast of the airport.

The Highways Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) awarded a contract to the China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) to design and build the section from Scenic Hill to boundary crossing facilities.