Bridging The Gap

The long-awaited opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-MacauBridge heralds a wave of developments aimed at increasing connectivity throughout the Pearl River Delta.

- Craig Bright

Four man-made islands, a 22.9-kilometre-long stainless-steel bridge weighing some 400,000 tonnes, and the longest submerged sea tunnel in the world… This is the new Hong Kong- Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), soon to be the world’s longest cross-sea bridge and the jewel in the crown of a new wave of developments aimed at fostering greater integration between the cities of the Pearl River Delta (PRD).

The HZMB project – which totals 55 kilometres in length – began construction in December 2012 as part of a joint effort by Hong Kong, Macau and the Chinese mainland, though the idea for a connection across the Lingding Channel that separates the cities was originally floated back in 1983. Fast-forward 35 years and the bridge is nearly complete, and due to officially open late October, according to South China Morning Post reports.

The benefits of the HZMB will be twofold: a reduction in transportation times, and economic integration. In 2015, the PRD region accounted for 4.3 per cent of China’s total population and 9.1 per cent of its GDP, according to the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council. With the Western PRD reachable in three hours from Hong Kong, its appeal for external investment will be given a handsome boost.

The HZMB Authority projects that daily passenger flow across the bridge will be about 56,000 people when it first opens, increasing to 230,000 by 2035. Between 90 and 140 buses, operated by a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Shun Tak Holdings, which runs the Hong Kong-Macau Turbo Jet ferry service, will run daily between all three border checkpoints (every five minutes during peak hours). Fares are expected to be HK$80 (around £8) to get to Zhuhai – significantly lower than the current HK$220 (£21) ferry and HK$130 (£12) coach costs using different routes.