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After 9 years, China opens world’s longest sea bridge

Chinese president Xi Jinping officially declared the 55-km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) open on 23 October, signalling the end of a 9-year, often difficult, engineering odyssey.

Billed as the longest bridge-cum-tunnel sea crossing in the world, the bridge will let motorists drive across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai in about 40 minutes.

It opens to traffic 24 October.

Praising the builders for breaking a number of world records, Xi said they demonstrate the nation’s spirit of striving to overcome any difficulties.

"With the bridge, we have further enhanced our confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics," Xi said, reports Xinhua.

The bridge is reported to have cost $20bn in total to build, and should have opened in 2016.

Officials have said at least 18 workers died on the project, reports the BBC.

Image: Part of the 55-km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB Hong Kong Section)

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Comments

  1. If I’m reading an original 2011 press release from the HK Govt correctly, this project was originally estimated at 3.8bn US$? So a $20bn final score is quite a markup?

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