Saturday, December 24, 2011

World’s longest bridge – Hong Kong-Zhuhai- Macau Bridge (HKZMB)

China kickstarted the construction of the world’s longest cross-sea bridge imageon December 13, 2011, in an effort to link its southern economic hub of Guangdong province to Hong Kong and Macau.  Hong Kong began the construction of its part on December 14, linking itself with Macau and Zhuhai. The project finally started, after being delayed for a year due to legal challenges on its environmental consequences. Concern was raised among environmental groups as construction of the bridge will coincide with the natural habitats of the endangered white dolphins. There are about 2,000 white dolphins remaining in China, and more than half of these dwell in the Pearl River estuary. To protect them, a 180 square miles territory had been designated for the white dolphins and builders are restricted them polluting the waters.

The Y-shaped Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HKZMB) will have a total length of around 50km, of which around 35 km will be built over the sea, allowing it to hold the record of being the world’s longest cross-sea bridge. It is estimated to incur US$11.5 billion of construction expenditure and set to be completed in 2016. The construction cost would be shared between the authorities of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. HKZMB had been described as the most technically complicated landmark projects in China’s transport history. The bridge comprises a tunnel section that travels underwater and constitutes a six-lane expressway that can withstand the impact of a 8.0-magnitude earthquake and possesses the ability to survive being rammed by a large vessel weighing 300,000 tons and withstand slamming winds up to a speed of 51 m/s.  

imageA 150-hectares artificial island would be constructed in the waters northeast of Hong Kong to accommodate the boundary crossing amenities. Reclamation efforts to create the artificial islands in Macau and Zhuhai constitute the first phase of construction.

Upon completion, it would take about half an hour to travel from Zhuhai or Macau on the west bank of the Pearl River to Hong Kong on the east bank, as compared to the current three hours. HKZMB will cut travelling time significantly by 60 to 80 per cent, accelerating the delivery of goods and travelling time of people. Hong Kong investors will concomitantly enjoy substantial business opportunities in the western Pearl River Delta, which houses plenty of land and human resources.

In the long term, HKZMB will function as a critical transportation link between Hong Kong and the Mainland, driving Hong Kong’s long term economic development. Furthermore, it opens windows of new opportunities for Hong Kong’s key industries such as tourism, finance, trade, commerce and logistics. In order to boost the economic benefits of the HKZMB project, toll charges would be kept as low as possible to promote usage of the bridge among the people. Besides construction efforts, around 50 million yuan had been allotted for landscaping activities, such as the inclusion of sightseeing spots for tourists to appreciate the spectacular view of the South China Sea and white dolphins that cruised by.

 

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