Editing Central–Mid-Levels escalator (section)

=== Construction and opening ===
The [[Highways Department]] commissioned [[Maunsell|Maunsell Consultants Asia]] to draw up a detailed design for the system.<ref name="plananddesign">{{cite journal|last1=Garrett|first1=Richard J.|title=The hillside escalator link in Hong Kong – planning and design|journal=Highways and Transportation|date=January 1992|volume=39|issue=1|pages=25–27}}</ref> The [[Executive Council of Hong Kong|Executive Council]] approved the project on 16 March 1990.<ref name="risesto100m">{{cite news|last1=Lee|first1=Jacqueline|title=Mid-Levels link rises to $100m|work=South China Morning Post|date=17 March 1990|page=3}}</ref> Construction began at the end of February 1991, and was carried out by a joint venture between Hong Kong contractor [[Paul Y. Engineering|Paul Y. – ITC Construction]] and the French company [[Sogen]].<ref name="plananddesign"/><ref name="pauly">{{cite web|title=Central Mid-Levels Escalator and Walkway System|url=http://www.pyengineering.com/en-us/projects/details/53|publisher=Paul Y. Engineering|accessdate=24 May 2018}}</ref><ref name="awarded">{{cite news|last1=Lau|first1=Jeremy|title=$186m Central escalator contract awarded|work=South China Morning Post|date=23 February 1991}}</ref> It took two and a half years to build, and opened to the public at 6:00&nbsp;am on 15 October 1993.<ref name="fitsandstarts">{{cite news|last1=Wiseman|first1=Alison|last2=Choy|first2=Monique|last3=Hills|first3=Jonathan|title=New link sets off in fits and starts|work=South China Morning Post|date=16 October 1993|page=3}}</ref>

The opening of the escalator fuelled the proliferation of new restaurants and other commercial operations in the intermediate levels, and contributed to the development of the "[[Soho, Hong Kong|SoHo]]" entertainment district. New businesses opened up in the first or second floors of existing buildings, and added signage to attract escalator riders.<ref name="storiesbehind">{{cite news|last1=DeWolf|first1=Christopher|title=Stories behind Hong Kong districts: SoHo before the escalator|url=http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2022873/stories-behind-hong-kong-districts-soho-escalator|work=South China Morning Post|date=29 September 2016}}</ref>