China opens $19bn Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

Construction industry news : Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB), which is claimed to be the longest bridge-cum-tunnel sea crossing in the world has officially opened to the public following a recent bridge opening ceremony in the presence of the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which has been built over nine years with an investment of 126.9 billion yuan ($18.77 billion), connects Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai. It is a 55 km bridge-tunnel system consisting of a series of three cable-stayed bridges, viaducts, undersea tunnels, in addition to four artificial islands.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is made up of the 12km Hong Kong Link Road, 29.6km Main Bridge along with the 13.4km long Zhuhai Link Road.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge links Hong Kong to cities throughout the Greater Bay Area of southern China (Photo: Business Wire)

Operating round-the-clock, the new sea crossing bridge makes commuting between Hong Kong and major cities in the Pearl River Delta in less than three hours of time and a travel time of 40 minutes to travel from Hong Kong Port to Zhuhai Port and Macao Port which is approximately a distance of 42km.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge gives easier access to major attractions like Macao and Guangdong in the Greater Bay Area of southern China, which in turn is expected to provide a tremendous boost to regional tourism.

The sea crossing bridge is also likely to consolidate Hong Kong’ position as a center for multi-destination travel within the Greater Bay Area, which includes nine cities in the Guangdong Province and two Special Administrative Regions.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was constructed using 400,000 tonnes of steel, enough to build 60 Eiffel Towers. Expected to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, the sea crossing bridge is estimated to last for 120 years. The cost of the bridge construction was financed by bank loans and shared by the Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macao governments.

Travelers on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge can visit nearby attractions like Hong Kong’s Lantau Island and Disneyland. Other attractions are the Ngong Ping 360 cable car ride to the Buddha statue and Po Lin Monastery and a walk along Wisdom Path. Visitors can have a spectacular view of the sea crossing bridge by taking a boat trip from Tung Chung to Tai O Fishing village.

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge also provides an opportunity for tourists to see the various cultural attractions across Macao and Guangdong which can be accessed easily from Hong Kong. Add to these are the ruins of St.Paul’s in Macao, the statue of Fisher Girl in Zhuhai, the Kaiping Diaolou, the Seven Star Crags and others.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge also makes it convenient for visitors to club their visits to Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area attractions into a single multi-destination trip. Further, they can also avail a cross-border bus service which will take them tour the new sea crossing bridge between Hong Kong, Macao, and Zhuhai.