15. Case 11: Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge (HZMB)

The Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge (HZMB) consists of the 12 km Hong Kong Link road, 29.6 km main bridge and 13.4 km Zhuhai Link road. The total length of the bridge is 55 km. HZMB is the longest bridge cum tunnel sea crossing in the world. Operating 24 hours a day, this bridge connects major cities in the Pearl River Delta within a three-hour commute from Hong Kong. It will take only 40 minutes to commute the distance of approximately 42 km from Hong Kong port to Zhuhai Port and Macao Port. This bridge tunnel system consists of a series of three cable stayed bridges, an undersea tunnel and four artificial islands. It is the longest open sea fixed link in the world. It is built to withstand a magnitude eight earthquake, a super typhoon and strikes by super-sized cargo vessels. The amount of steel used for the steel bridge was equivalent to the total weight of 60 Eiffel Towers. According to the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge Authority statistics over 4000 vessels consisting of passenger ferries to container ships cruise its waters every day. The total cost of the main bridge was 7.56 billion funding in terms of bank loans amounted to the bridge initiative was a part of the Chinese government’s plan to drive the economic and social integration of the Greater Bay area.