Nearly seven years after construction began, the world's longest sea crossing is set to open. Key points: The bridge is the sixth-longest to be built in the world The bridge is the sixth-longest to be built in the world Over 400,000 tonnes of steel has been used to build the structure Over 400,000 tonnes of steel has been used to build the structure China has plans to use the cities which are linked as a huge economic and business hub China's engineering feat that links Macau, Hong Kong and the mainland China city of Zhuhai is to begin operating on Wednesday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the ceremony. The crossing, built from 400,000 tonnes of steel, spans 55 kilometres across the Pearl River Delta with a 22.9-kilometre bridge over the sea (the world's sixth-longest) and a 6.7km tunnel. The bridge has also been designed to withstand earthquakes and seasonal typhoons that lash cities around the Pearl River estuary each year. The longest sea crossing the world has ever seen is ready to open for business. ( Reuters: Bobby Yip It also includes two artificial islands and is expected to drastically cut commute times for the combined populations of the three cities — in the vicinity of 9.6 million people — with trips to take 45 minutes, a journey up to three hours shorter than previously possible. The opening will not be without its dramas though, with several transport operators claiming they are not ready due to a lack of communication from the government. Matthew Wong Leung-pak, chairman of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings, is one executive with such a complaint. "[The announcement] was out of our expectation," Mr Wong told the South China Morning Post. "The government had said it would give us a two-month notice for preparation but it came all in a sudden." How the world's longest crossing looks from afar. ( Reuters: Bobby Yip The crossing is not only a major feat of engineering but is also part of an ambitious plan for China to create an economic hub in its "Greater Bay Area". It will play a key role in the transport of goods made on the west side of the Pearl River to the east side, where they will be exported. The Bay Area, according to Chinese government forecasts published in the South China Morning Post, will have a GDP of $US4.6 trillion ($6.46 trillion) by 2030 when it is hoped that 29,000 vehicles a day will use it.<doc-sep>Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday opened the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau, the world's longest sea-crossing bridge that links the semi-autonomous cities of Hong Kong and Macau with the city of Zhuhai on the Chinese mainland. Construction began in 2009 but the project has been dogged by corruption prosecutions and the deaths of workers. Delays and cost overruns caused the final price tag of the 55-kilometer (34-mile) bridge to total around $20 billion (€17.5 billion). Read more: China: World's longest glass bridge closes Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony The bridge passes through the Pearl River Delta, an important manufacturing region, and is set to cut the time taken to cross the area from several hours to 30 minutes. Authorities will restrict access to the bridge to drivers who have applied for special permits. China hopes the bridge will bolster economic growth in the region and promote integration between the mainland and the two semi-autonomous cities. Critics have denounced the project's impact on local wildlife. Hong Kong and mainland China are already linked by a high-speed railway that opened in September. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge Above and under water On October 23, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated the 55-kilometer (34-mile)-long sea bridge that connects Hong Kong and Macau to the sprawling Pearl River delta economic zone via the Chinese mainland city of Zhuhai. The remarkable structure consists of a meandering bridge and a 6.7-kilometer underwater tunnel between two artificial islands. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge Previous record holder Previously, the 42-kilometer-long Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, or the Qingdao Bay Bridge, was the longest sea bridge. It is located in Shandong Peninsula and connects the cities of Qingdao and Huangdao. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge Parking islands The Hong Kong-Macau sea bridge cost the Chinese government 120 billion yuan, equivalent to about €15 billion ($17.2 billion), and its construction took almost a decade. From this artificially created island in Hong Kong, the structure plunges under water. In addition, car and truck drivers can stop here. At least 60,000 cars and 250,000 people are estimated to use this connection daily. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge Expected economic boom The Chinese government hopes that connecting Hong Kong and Macau to the Pearl River delta area would boost economic activity in the region. Until now residents of Zhuhai, Macau and Hong Kong have used ferries to commute between the three cities. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge Time is money At a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, the journey time between Hong Kong and Macau should be reduced from three hours by ferry to less than 30 minutes by car. But this is not a bridge anyone can just drive on — for now only the rich or politically well connected residents of Hong Kong and Macau will be able to take their private cars across the bridge. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge Several delays The bridge should have been officially inaugurated by the end of 2016, but it took longer than expected to open it. The bridge will be open to regular traffic from October 24, 2018. The structure will last up to at least 120 years and can also withstand typhoon winds of up to 340 kilometers per hour. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge A steel and concrete giant About 400,000 tons of steel was used in the construction of this gigantic bridge. That is 4.5 times more steel than what was used in building the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Chinese authorities say the bridge can not only withstand a magnitude-8 earthquake but also survive collisions with cargo ships. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge Two driving systems Border controls have been built on crossings in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. One of the problems that drivers face along the bridge deals with right- and left-hand driving systems. The drivers must also have two valid licenses to cross the bridge. Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau: China opens world's longest sea bridge A controversial 'white elephant' The construction of the bridge was delayed due to rising costs, fatal accidents of laborers and corruption allegations. Hong Kong residents fear Beijing will attempt to undermine their partial autonomy through this bridge. Environmentalists warn it would have a devastating impact on endangered pink dolphin species in the Pearl River estuary. Critics also say that the bridge is a waste of money. Author: Sabrina Müller-Plotnikow (shs) The United Kingdom handed over control of Hong Kong to China in 1997 under an agreement that the city would retain partial independence from Beijing until 2047. Portugal transferred sovereignty over Macau to China in 1999. amp/rt (AP,AFP) Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>
55-km-long sea bridge connecting Hong Kong to Macau and the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai China on Tuesday opened the 55-km-long sea bridge connecting Hong Kong to Macau and the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai. It is said to be the world's longest bridge. President Xi Jinping inaugurated the USD 20 billion bridge at a special ceremony held in Zhuhai, in southern China's Guangdong Province, attended by about 700 guests, including the leaders of Hong Kong and Macau. It was opened with a one sentence speech by Xi, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. The construction of the bridge started in December 2009 and was to be completed in 2016. Situated in the Lingdingyang waters of the Pearl River estuary, it will be the world's longest sea bridge, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. China claims credit for building the world's longest bridge, the 164.8-km-long Danyang–Kunshan Grand viaduct on the Beijing- Shanghai high speed railway. The 55-kilometre crossing, which includes a road bridge and underwater tunnel, links Hong Kong's Lantau island to Zhuhai and the gambling enclave of Macau, across the waters of the Pearl River Estuary. The bridge, which will be opened for regular traffic from Wednesday, will slash the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai from three hours to just 30 minutes, it said, adding it will further integrate the cities in the Pearl River Delta. Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng said the bridge would bring Hong Kong and mainland China closer in terms of economic and trade activities. Describing the bridge as a sign of successful cooperation between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau he said, it is a demonstration of China's engineering capabilities. Han, Beijing's man in-charge of regional economic integration, said that the 55-km-long bridge could facilitate the development of "one country, two systems", a framework that allows Hong Kong and Macau a certain degree of autonomy. He said it was the first time the three sides had worked together on a major infrastructure project. "It opens up all three places for greater exchange in trade and economics. It also enhances the competitiveness of the Pearl River Delta," the Post quoted him as saying. The bridge would help Hong Kong and Macau be integrated to mainland China, he added. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor highlighted the three cross-border infrastructure projects – the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express rail link, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai boundary control point which will open early next year. But, the critics have called the bridge a "white elephant" and a "blood and sweat project", noting 10 workers have died and more than 600 were injured during its construction, the Post reported. Additional concerns surfaced earlier this year when officials revealed that estimates for the amount of traffic expected for the bridge had been cut. A 2008 consultancy study had predicted that 33,100 vehicles and 1,71,800 passengers would cross the bridge daily by 2030. But the estimate was lowered to 29,100 vehicles and 1,26,000 passenger trips in a 2016 study, down 12 per cent and 26 per cent respectively, the report said. ( With inputs from PTI ) Latest World News