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3 October 2016 | By GCR Sta

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Structural work on the worlds longest sea crossing, which spans

the Pearl River Estuary linking Hong Kong in the east to Macau
and Zhuhai, nished last week.
Road surfacing work has now started on the 55-km bridge-and-tunnel link, which
will cut the drive time from Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai from three hours to
just 30 minutes.
Construction began in 2009 on the record-breaking structure, which was conceived
in 2003 as a way of speeding trac between the manufacturing powerhouse of
Guangdong province and the commercial and logistics hub of Hong Kong.
European engineers Cowi and Arup were involved in its design, while French

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European engineers Cowi and Arup were involved in its design, while French
conglomerate Bouygues worked on one of the sections.
Reported to cost more than $17bn, the six-lane roadway structure breaks two
records.
Its 29.6km bridge is now the worlds longest bridge over water, unseating former
record-holder Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, also in China, which is 26.7km long.
And its aggregate length of 55km, including a 6.7km undersea tunnel, articial
islands and spurs to Macau and the city of Zhuhai, beats the aggregate length
(41.6km) of the Jiaozhou Bay crossing.
Ocials gathered for a ceremony in Zhuhai on 27 September to celebrate the
structures completion and mark the start of road surfacing and related work, news
agency Xinhua reports.

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Map shows route and shipping channels of the record-breaking, 55km sea crossing, built
to speed trac between the manufacturing powerhouse of Guangdong province and the
commercial and logistics hub of Hong Kong (http://www.hzmb.hk)

According to Xinhua, more than 400,000 tonnes of steel were used for the tunnel

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According to Xinhua, more than 400,000 tonnes of steel were used for the tunnel
and bridge, enough to build 60 Eiel Towers.
Last year UK newspaper The Guardian dubbed the megastructure one of the seven
wonders of the modern world.
Construction teams had to cope with a number of challenging conditions, including
heavy ship trac: the Pearl River Estuary is one of the worlds busiest shipping
routes, with more than 4,000 vessels crossing the structures path every day.
A number of engineering rsts were also recorded. Ocials said it was the rst
time China built an immersed tube tunnel in open waters.
Two articial islands made of steel pillars were created to connect the bridge, the
rst time this process has ever been used, Xinhua reported.
Chinas prole as a global leader in engineering and technology will be boosted by
the bridge, the chief engineer of its administration bureau told Xinhua.
The China technology and China standard set by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao
Bridge will inuence the world market, said chief engineer Su Quanke.
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Top image:Artists render of a section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, built by
newsletter for free.
subsidiaries of Frances Bouygues (via Bouygues)
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