The project consists of the 55 kilometre long-bridge, of which 22.9 kilometres passes over the sea, as well as a 6.7 kilometre underground tunnel, with an estimated lifespan of around 120 years. These figures comfortably allow the bridge to hold the ‘Biggest Cross-Sea Bridge in the World’ title, as well as one of the most expensive ever built, at a price tag of 10 billion Yuan or USD$1.5 billion.
When complete, it is hoped that the journey time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai will be cut from the current four hours, to around half an hour. This will improve Hong Kongers’ access to the Pearl River Delta region for business and pleasure reasons, as well as allowing residents of Macau and Guangdong easy access to Hong Kong International Airport and its myriad of shopping destinations. Currently, a fast and frequent ferry service runs between Hong Kong’s airport and ports in China and Macau, but this is obviously dependent on the weather, which can be a problem during the typhoon season.
Use of the bridge will, hopefully, reduce demand for flights around the Delta and also have a positive effect on tourist traffic, allowing people to shop without worrying about baggage limits and airport check-in times.