The 55-km-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) opened to traffic at 9:00 a. m. on 24th October 2018. It is the longest cross-sea bridge in the world. The bridge connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao. The guardian has described it as one of the" seven wonders of the modern world".
The construction (建造) of the HZMB began in 2009 and cost about 120 billion yuan, CGTN reported. The HZMB is special in many ways. It is designed with a service life of up to 120 years
And it isn't just a bridge, but also part tunnel and part island. In one part, the bridge turns into a 6. 7km undersea tunnel (隧道), allowing large ships to pass by above the tunnel.
The bridge's designers and engineers had to consider many environmental factors in order to protect the surrounding environment while building the bridge. For example, Chinese white dolphins, endangered animals that live in the area, by building large and modern natural reserves, the engineers achieved the goal of Chinese white dolphins zero casualty (零伤亡).
Why do Chinese people have to build the bridge at such a high cost? The HZMB will make it much faster to travel between the three areas it connects. It will shorten the travel time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai from four hours to about 45 minutes. By drawing these areas together, the bridge will help with the area's development in many ways. It is expected to drive the economic (经济的) development of Hong Kong, South China Morning Post noted.
