World’s longest sea bridge opens between HK, China

Beijing, October 23

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday officially opened the world’s longest sea bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, significantly cutting the travel time between the three territories from three hours to just 30 minutes. 

The 55-km-long crossing that cost a whopping $20 billion is dubbed as an engineering feat carrying economic and political significance at a time when Beijing is seen tightening its grip over its semi-autonomous territories. 

It connects Asia’s financial hub, Hong Kong, with the southern mainland city of Zhuhai and the gambling enclave of Macau, across the waters of the Pearl River Estuary with a snaking road bridge and underwater tunnel.

It took nine years to complete the bridge due to delays, budget overruns, corruption prosecutions and the deaths of construction workers.

President Xi inaugurated the bridge at a special ceremony held in Zhuhai, in southern China’s Guangdong Province, attended by about 700 guests, including the leaders of Hong Kong and Macau.  “I declare the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge officially open,” he said in a one-line address, as digital fireworks exploded on a screen behind him. — PTI

Engineering feat

• The $20-billion and 55-km-long sea bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China will cut the travel time between the three territories from three hours to just 30 minutes 
• Built to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake and strikes by super-sized cargo vessels, the bridge incorporates 400,000 tonnes of steel — 4.5 times the amount in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge
• It also includes a 6.7-km submerged tunnel that runs between two artificial islands, each measuring 100,000 sq m and situated in relatively shallow waters