A $20-billion bridge connecting Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai is set to finally open this week, marking the completion of the longest sea-crossing bridge ever built, nine years after construction began. The project, which has been surrounded in secrecy during construction, will have a grand opening on Tuesday in Zhuhai on mainland China - possibly attended by China's President Xi Jinping

 

 Hong Kong MPs have criticised a lack of transparency over when traffic will be able to use the bridge, while local bus companies have also complained about being kept in the dark. Beijing’s plan is to fully integrate Hong Kong and Macau -- which is known as the "Vegas of Asia" and the world’s biggest gambling hub, with the Pearl River Delta region, a giant manufacturing hub -- into what Beijing is calling the Greater Bay Area, a tech- and innovation-focused center to rival Silicon Valley.
After nine years of construction, China is expected to open the world's longest sea bridge, Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, at a ceremony in Hong Kong.