World’s Longest Sea-Crossing Bridge, Spanning 55 Kilometers, Unveiled In China

The world’s longest sea-crossing bridge, spanning over 55km to connect Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai, has been unveiled in China, CNN has reported.

According to the report, the bridge has been built at a cost of $20 billion. It will cut the travel time from the Chinese mainland to two of its Special Administrative Regions - Hong Kong with Macau - by half. The bridge, proposal for which came up in 2003, is likely to be opened to the public in July this year.

It is part of China’s effort to develop a Bay Area to rival those such as San Francisco, New York and Tokyo in terms of technological and economic success. The area which the bridge will service is home to over 68 million people and covers 56,500 square kilometres. Apart from Hong Kong and Macau, it has 11 other cities.

The six-lane structure was completed in November 2017. It consists of three cable-stayed bridges, three artificial islands and one undersea tunnel.

The construction of the bridge was not free from controversies. Pro-democracy activists in Kong Kong had protested against the project, raising safety concerns. In April 2018, images showing wave-absorbing concrete blocks around an artificial island scattered in the sea as if they had drifted away sparked more safety concerns. Hong Kong’s top leader had allayed public fears saying that the stability of the “world-class” bridge linking the city to Macau is “scientifically proven”.

"The bridge is a waste of money," one of Hong Kong’s independent lawmakers, who supports greater democracy, was quoted by CNN as saying.

"When it comes to linking the mainland to Hong Kong, we have air, sea and land linkages already. Why do we need this extra project?," he said.

World's highest suspension bridge, 564-metres-high, is also in China.