The longest sea bridge in the world is scheduled to open to traffic this week , linking Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland China city of Zhuhai.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which measures about 34 miles and took nine years to complete, spans the waters of the Pearl River Estuary and will cut the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from three hours to 30 minutes, according to the English-language newspaper China Daily.
Regular motorists, however, won’t be able to drive across it — a special permit is required. According to CNN, most drivers will have to park and then switch to a shuttle bus or specially hired car to go across. Tolls will range from 60 yuan to 300 yuan (or about $8 to $43), according to China Daily.
The bridge is a joint project between Hong Kong, Macau, and China’s Guangdong province. The Guardian reports the bridge is expected serve as a way to integrate the two special administrative regions into China and form a technology hub to compete with Silicon Valley.
The bridge lies in a region known as China’s Greater Bay Area, which, according to an article by Chatham House fellow Tim Summers, boasts a population of about 67 million and a GDP of $1.5 trillion — on par with that of South Korea — making it one of China’s richest regions.
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“The bridge serves as a bond between Hong Kong, Macau and other Guangdong cities. It is a symbol of the Greater Bay Area,” Hong Kong executive councillor Wong Kwok-kin said in the South China Morning Post.
The massive structure is the first major combined bridge and tunnel sea-crossing project in China and is comprised of three cable-stayed bridges with spans —r anging from 280 meters to 460 meters — two artificial islands, and a nearly 4-mile long tunnel, according to Arup, an engineering company involved in the design of the bridges and the artificial islands.
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On two artificial islands at both exits of the HZMB tunnel, striking architectural concrete structures
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The east man-made island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is illuminated on Saturday. Cars exiting the bridge then enter a tunnel built into the island.
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great Job Chinkus but i will never forgive you for giving us ancient fugly engines for the SGR
