World’s longest sea-crossing bridge will now connect Hong Kong and China

Beijing, Oct 23: The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, a 55-kilometer (34-mile) sea crossing that connects Hong Kong, Macau, and the city of Zhuhai, will be thrown open for traffic on October 24, the authorities said Saturday.

A combination of lengthy bridge segments, a 6-kilometer underwater tunnel, and two artificial islands, the record-breaking bridge has been in development since 2003 and under construction since 2009.

This sea bridge will slash the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from three hours to just 30 minutes, further integrating the cities in the Pearl River Delta.

The Transport Department has already capped the number of permits for cross-border private cars at 5,000, it said.

The bridge has also faced considerable public criticism over safety standards. Seven workers died in constructing the bridge, and another 275 were injured.