The world’s longest sea bridge linking the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau is set to open this week, nine years after construction began.
The £15 billion Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge will officially open on Tuesday in a ceremony that Chinese president Xi Jinping is expected to attend.
Measuring 55km, the crossing consists of three steel bridges, two artificial islands and one undersea tunnel.
It spans the Lingdingyang channel, connecting the major cities of Hong Kong and Macau with the Chinese mainland at Zhuhai, in Guandong province.
The bridge is part of a plan to transform the Greater Bay Area into a high-tech region to rival California’s Silicon Valley, by connecting 11 major Chinese cities in total.
It was initially planned to open in 2016, but has been hit by a series of delays.
Hong Kong’s transport secretary, Frank Chan Fan, said: “The bridge is not just a mega transport infrastructure jointly built by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau.
“The collaboration between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau in terms of trade, finance, logistics and tourism will be strengthened. Hong Kong will assume a more proactive role in the development of the Greater Bay Area.”
The bridge is due to open to traffic on Wednesday, but private cars will only be able to use it upon successfully applying for a special permit.
The crossing will not be served by public transport, and is mostly intended for private shuttles and freight vehicles.
