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This is a key element of China's plan for a Great Bay region covering 56,500 square kilometers of southern China and encompassing 11 cities, including Hong Kong and Macau, which house a total of 68 million people. 39; inhabitants.
Proponents of the bridge claim that it will significantly reduce commute times between cities, which will allow commuters and tourists to move easily around the region.
"Through the bridge, travel time between Hong Kong and the western delta region of the Pearl River will be significantly reduced, which will bring the region to the Pearl River Delta from the west. less than a three-hour drive from Hong Kong, "said Frank Chan, the city's transportation secretary, said Friday.
Despite the emphasis on driving time, private car owners in Hong Kong will not be able to cross the bridge without a special permit. Most drivers will need to park at Hong Kong Port, passing a shuttle bus or a special rental car once they have gone through immigration. Shuttles cost between $ 8 and $ 10 for a single trip, depending on the time.
For critics of the Chinese government, the bridge is perceived as a tool to ensure that Hong Kong – endowed with a semi-democratic legislature and an independent judiciary – is closer to the power of Beijing. .
"You can not see the existing transport connections – literally, but this bridge is very visible … you can see it from the plane when you go to Hong Kong, and it's up to Breathtaking, "said lawgiver Claudia Mo CNN earlier in the year.
"It connects Hong Kong with China almost like an umbilical cord, you see it and you know that you are related to the motherland."
Huge engineering effort
Built to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8, a super typhoon and striking giant cargo ships, the bridge contains 400,000 tons of steel, 4.5 times more than the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge.
It also includes a 6.7 km (4 miles) submerged tunnel to avoid congested shipping routes over the Pearl River Delta. The tunnel connects two artificial islands, each measuring 100,000 square meters (1 million square feet) and located in relatively shallow waters.
Although an impressive technical feat, the construction of the bridge has sparked its own controversy. The Pearl River Delta is home to a population of endangered Chinese white dolphins that has been shaken by massive land reclamation efforts in Hong Kong and other cities.
Conservation experts have previously told CNN that they feared that the bridge, along with the current Hong Kong airport expansion, would be the last nail in the coffin of dolphins, causing a definite decline of the local population.
Sarah Lazarus of CNN contributed to the report.
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