How about a bridge lasting 120 years? That’s the design life of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. It’s an impressive feat of engineering.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is also known as HZMB. This 55-kilometer bridge-tunnel system connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau. It is the longest sea crossing and fixed link in the world.
The HZMB includes three cable-stayed bridges. It also has an undersea tunnel and four artificial islands. The bridge spans the Lingding and Jiuzhou channels. These connect Hong Kong and Macau with Zhuhai. Zhuhai is a major city on the Pearl River Delta in China.
Gordon Wu of Hopewell Holdings first proposed this bridge-tunnel idea. That was in the 1980s. He got the idea from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Wu pitched the concept to Guangdong and Beijing officials in 1988. His initial plan differed from the final design.
Discussions stalled after the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. The Hong Kong government hesitated. They awaited cross-border traffic study results. They also had environmental concerns.
The Advance Work Coordination Group of HZMB was set up in 2003. They solved issues like landing points and financing. In 2008, governments agreed to finance 42% of the costs. The Bank of China provided the remaining loans.
Construction began on December 15, 2009, on the Chinese side. The Hong Kong section began in December 2011, after a legal delay. The last bridge tower was erected on June 2, 2016. The final tunnel joint was installed on May 2, 2017. The entire project was completed on February 6, 2018. Sadly, 19 workers died during construction.
The HZMB Main Bridge is a bridge-tunnel system constructed by mainland Chinese authorities. It connects Zhuhai-Macao Port Artificial Island to the Hong Kong Link Road. The Main Bridge includes a 22.9-kilometer bridge and a 6.7-kilometer undersea tunnel.
The Hong Kong Link Road connects the main bridge-tunnel to an artificial island. This island houses the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities.
The Zhuhai Link Road connects to major expressways. It starts from Zhuhai-Macao Port Artificial Island.
The Macau Bridge Link opened in October 2024. This 3-kilometer bridge provides access to Taipa Island.
Interestingly, traffic on the bridge is right-hand drive. This differs from Hong Kong and Macau. They use left-hand traffic. Crossing viaducts allow drivers to switch sides.
Shuttle buses run 24 hours a day. They depart every five minutes. The journey across the HZMB takes about 40 minutes.
The HZMB links Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau. Travel time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong has been cut to 30 minutes.
The HZMB project is part of China’s Greater Bay Area plan. It aims to promote economic development.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge saw a record of 156000 passenger trips on 31 January 2025.
Sika admixtures were used to produce concrete for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project.
Though controversial, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge stands as a testament to engineering ambition. It connects regions and reduces travel times. It also leaves us to consider its impact.