The world’s longest sea crossing, stretching 34 miles across the Pearl River Delta was once an hour-long ferry trip and now takes a 40-minute drive
Spanning 34 miles across the Pearl River Delta, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge stands as the world’s longest sea crossing ever built, linking the southern Chinese cities of Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau. The 55km structure required nine years of construction work at an estimated cost of around £15billion.
It has slashed journey times between the three cities dramatically, converting what was previously an hour-long ferry crossing into roughly a 40-minute drive. The bridge represents part of a wider scheme to bolster transport connections throughout the Greater Bay Area, a region Beijing is developing into a significant economic hub.
Through linking Hong Kong and Macau more directly with Guangdong province cities, the crossing aims to enhance trade and mobility across the region. Its construction encompasses several crucial components, including multiple long-span bridges, artificial islands and linking roadways.
The principal section comprises three navigation channel bridges – Jiuzhou, Jianghai and Qingzhou.
This design allows large vessels to navigate through one of China’s busiest shipping areas.
Engineers faced substantial challenges, including frequent typhoons and a harsh marine setting.
The bridge utilises single-column piers anchored into the seabed to limit interference with water flow and lessen the effect on native wildlife, including the Chinese white dolphin. The three main bridges feature cable-supported structures, each showcasing a unique tower design.
These were crafted to give the crossing a consistent yet varied appearance, particularly given its visibility from land, sea and air.
The Jiuzhou Bridge retains its original sail-shaped towers following alterations made during the detailed design phase.
Engineering consultancy Arup was involved in numerous elements of the project, including preliminary design work, artificial island construction and key road and tunnel connections on the Hong Kong and Macau sides.
Additional infrastructure linked to the crossing includes boundary crossing facilities and connections, such as the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link, helping to integrate the bridge into the wider transport network.
Since its opening, the bridge has become an essential artery within the region’s transport infrastructure, highlighting both the scale of China’s ambitious infrastructure goals and the practical need for faster connections between its major cities.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge was originally set to open in late 2016, but officially opened on October 2018 to the public, following an inauguration ceremony led by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The bridge was built using 400,000 tonnes of steel and was designed to withstand earthquakes and typhoons.
According to Guangdong News, “The number of northbound trips made by single-plate vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) exceeded 10 million as of May 25, with daily traffic now averaging 11,000 trips.”
