A groundbreaking project with an estimated cost of USD $15.9 billion, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge is the most awaited opening of this year with predictions that it will launch in the second quarter of 2018. The 55km crossing is comprised of three cable bridges and an undersea tunnel, as well as three artificial islands that connect Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai. These three major cities on the Pearl River Delta in China will be making history as the world’s longest bridge over water becomes one of the iconic landmarks within the area.
An ambitious project that started 35 years ago, it was the rapid growth and increase of cross-border traffic in 1983 that prompted the proposal for this infrastructure. It was a collaborative decision and effort of the authorities of the three islands to create a long-term solution through new road links. The National Development and Reform Commission and the Hong Kong Government conducted a comprehensive study on the transport linkage between Hong Kong and the western bank of the Pearl River Delta. The project studies asserted that it will provide significant reapings in terms of socio-economic benefits for the Greater Pearl River Delta Region.
Set to dramatically change the present mode of transportation linking Hong Kong and Pearl River West region which relies mainly on water transport, it will shorten the distance from Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai from 160 to 30 kilometers and ultimately shorten the journey time to within half an hour. The bridge will put the three cities of Zhuhai, Macau, and Hong Kong within an hour’s commute of each other.
What’s in it for Macau residents? Well, apart from the fact that it will reduce the distance from Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai, it’s bound to be a road trip to remember setting a world record journey for the longest bridge over water. The bridge will boost the local tourism industry and highlight new multi-destination itineraries that will certainly enhance the tourist experience in the region.
An achievement that took three decades in the making, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge is a historical moment that we’ll all be watching out for. American Architect, writer and educator, Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Architecture is the triumph of human imagination over materials, methods, and men”. This infrastructure is a true testament to that.
