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Fifteen years ago, China began work on an ambitious project that would become the longest bridge in the world for crossing the sea. This bridge, which connects the mainland with the two special administrative regions of the country, Hong Kong and Macao , is finally ready. After an inaugural ceremony held in the mainland town of Zhuhai and chaired by Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday, October 23, with fireworks, the bridge will be open to traffic on Wednesday at 9:00 am.
The 55-kilometer reach (the portion of the sea crossing is itself shorter) is part of Beijing's efforts to integrate Hong Kong, Macau and the south of the continent into the so-called Greater Bay Area. , rivaling that of San Francisco Bay. a technological pole. The project follows the logic that China has used for years to guide its economic development: if you want to become rich, start by building a road.
Reuters / Aly Song
The project has a political component that creates a visible physical link between the continent and autonomous Hong Kong, over which Beijing exercises greater control. "You can not see the existing transport connections, literally. But this bridge is very visible … you can see it from the plane as you head to Hong Kong, and it's amazing, "CNR's Hong Kong independent MP Claudia Mo told CNN. "It connects Hong Kong with China almost like an umbilical cord. You see it and you know that you are related to the motherland. "
Reuters
Last month, Hong Kong inaugurated an $ 11 billion high-speed train linking the city to the continent's high-speed rail network. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge project is the next piece of the puzzle. It cost about $ 20 billion and has been delayed for several years.
The bridge structure includes two artificial islands that serve as entry and exit points for an underwater submarine tunnel 6 km west of Hong Kong section of the bridge over the sea. Lantau Island. It is designed to last 120 years, withstand typhoons and the impact of a magnitude 8 earthquake and a 300,000 metric ton ship, according to the official in charge of the construction of the project.
Since construction began ten years ago, at least 10 workers have died and more than 600 have been injured. The construction project also appears to have had adverse ecological impacts: marine animals like the Chinese white dolphin are now hard to find in the waters around Lantau.
How can you drive on the bridge?
The bridge will see the traffic of shuttles, trucks and intercity taxis, as well as private cars, which will follow on the right, according to the rules of the circulation on the continent (Hong Kong and Macau lead on the left). By the year 2030, nearly 30,000 vehicles will use the bridge each day, according to estimates. But it will not be easy for individual drivers to obtain the necessary permits to make this perfect journey.
The Hong Kong private car quota that will be allowed to travel on the mainland is 10,000, more than triple the original limit set last year. The permit costs only HK $ 800 (about $ 100) and is valid for five years, including for driving on the mainland. It is reserved for businesses that have paid a certain level of taxes or to individuals who have a large number of charitable donations.
There is a separate quota of 300 licenses for Hong Kong cars that want to travel to Macau several times, and Macau cars have a quota of 600 licenses to drive to Hong Kong.
Reuters / Aly Song
The Macau authorities are also offering Hong Kong cars the opportunity to make a one-time trip as part of the Macau Port Parking and Parking Program. But this requires the following steps:
- Apply for a closed road permit, Hong Kong
- Ask for an identification tag, Macau
- Apply for a Temporary Vehicle License and Driver's License in Mainland China
- Purchasing insurance required by the authorities of Macao and the continent
- Book a parking space 12 hours in advance
How long do you win?
Currently, travelers can already visit the three cities by ferry and bus.
Hong Kong's transportation authorities set the current travel time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong at around four hours. The authority did not specify which method of travel it used for reference, but it most likely refers to bus travel time. On the bridge, it will take you 45 minutes to get between Zhuhai and Hong Kong.
In addition, the ferry ride from Zhuhai Port in Jiuzhou to Hong Kong International Airport is currently taking about an hour, which is similar to the ferry journey time between Hong Kong Island and Macau.
How much does it cost?
There is only one tollbooth, located in the mainland, where drivers have to pay in Chinese currency. A driver can pay with credit cards, or the popular Chinese payment channels Alipay and WeChat Pay, based on real-time exchange rates.
| Type of vehicle | One way fee |
|---|---|
| Private car | 150 yuan ($ 21) |
| Taxi | 150 yuan ($ 21) |
| Coach | 200 yuan (29 dollars) |
| Shuttle bus | 300 yuan ($ 43) |
| Freight truck | 115 yuan ($ 17) |
| Truck (no containers) | 60 yuan ($ 9) |
It is not yet known how much the bus tickets will cost via the bridge between the cities.
For comparison, the one-way ferry service between Macau and Hong Kong Island starts at $ 170 HK ($ 21), while tickets for Hong Kong International Airport start at HK 246. $ ($ 31). The Zhuhai-HKIA ferry starts at 260 USD (33 USD), while the current bus service costs 250 HK (32 USD) from Zhuhai to HKIA and 140 HK (18 USD) from Zhuhai to Hong Kong.
In addition, other alternatives are coming. The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, due to be completed in 2024, will reduce travel time between the two cities from two hours to 20 minutes. The border between Zhuhai and Zhongshan, and from Shenzhen, passengers can take the new high-speed train to Kowloon in 50 minutes.
