Construction workers building a road in Macau that will connect the territory to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. “It’s the largest gambling city in the world, and the only city where gaming is legal in the whole Greater China region,” says Chan. China is already home to seven of the world's 10 longest bridges, including the world's lengthiest, the 102 mile Danyang-Kunshan rail bridge, which runs over land and water near Shanghai. Gao explains that the tunnel is made of 33 “elements” – huge hollow blocks measuring 590 feet (180 meters) long, 125 feet (38 meters) wide and 37 feet (11.4 meters) high. Two Chinese companies, CCCC and CR20 signed a contract this week to build a much sought-after bridge in the Brazilian state of Bahia, connecting its capital Salvador with the island of Itaparica. Of the remaining $3.24 billion, Hong Kong put up $1.38 billion – a little less than Zhuhai ($1.43 billion), which received financial support from China’s central government, and considerably more than Macau ($0.43 billion) which, with a population of 610,000, is the smallest of the three cities. Japan's Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge spans 2.43 miles and connects the city of Kobe to Awaji Island. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge was lit up in Hong Kong on Monday, days before opening for public use. “At present, the economic distribution is very uneven between the Pearl River Delta’s east and west coasts,” says Chan adding that, “the cities on the eastern side such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Dongguan are more economically developed than cities on the western side including Zhuhai, Jiangmen and Zhongshan.”. PHOTO: Additionally, residents carry three different passports and identity cards, and speak two different languages (Cantonese and Mandarin). Photographed in the late 19th century the Caravan Bridge in the city of Izmir, Turkey, was built in 850 BC and is still standing -- and in use -- today. Besides, the construction methods have also been carefully selected so as to minimize the impacts to the marine environment.”, The project’s worker safety record has also been criticized. PHOTO: “Hong Kong has had to fund a lot of the bridge,” says Mo, “but we won’t see many benefits here.”. Kenny Williams / Alamy. The idea of a Greater Bay Area was first raised in 2009, but development has been hampered because “there are lots of barriers between the cities,” Chan says. ​Stretching more than 12 kilometers in length, it will be the longest structure over water in ​all of Latin America. The official narrative is that greater regional integration will drive economic growth. He says the bridge will make it easier for goods produced by factories on the west side to be exported from air and sea ports on the east side – including Hong Kong’s international airport, the busiest cargo airport in the world. The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, which will connect Hong Kong to China’s high speed rail network, and the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, a border crossing between Hong Kong and mainland China, are both due to open later this year. The Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge (simplified Chinese: 丹昆特大桥; traditional Chinese: 丹昆特大橋; pinyin: Dān-Kūn tèdà qiáo) is a 164.8-kilometre-long (102.4 mi) viaduct on the Beijing–Shanghai High-Speed Railway. “At present, visitors to Hong Kong from mainland China tend to fly in for one or two days, mostly for shopping, and seldom travel to other areas in the Pearl River Delta,” says Chan. While the condition… “It links Hong Kong to China almost like an umbilical cord. Dropcap the popularization of the “ideal measure” has led to advice such as “Increase font size for large screens and imagebroker / Alamy. The three bridges, which … Firm to build longest bridge By Lu Haoting (China Daily) Updated: 2007-07-14 06:51. Marcos Chan, head of research for commercial real estate consultancy CBRE Hong Kong, Southern China and Taiwan, says the region is already very vibrant and economically productive. On December 23, more than 3,000 people showed up to walk across the new world’s longest glass bridge in Shijiazhuang in Northern China. Critics have also questioned the environmental and human toll and the immense financial cost of the project. Recently completed in the eastern coastal town of Qingdao, this engineering marvel is … The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge -- at 26.4 miles long -- in Shandong Province is almost three miles longer than the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, which was the … Success! Library of Congress, Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, 4.5 times the amount in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. The speed limit has been set at 62 miles (100 kilometers) an hour, and it has been decided that cars will drive on the right along the Chinese sections of the bridge, and switch to the left in Hong Kong and Macau, to match the driving styles in each city. Each element weighs 80,000 tons – about the same as an aircraft carrier. China opens world’s longest sea bridge and tunnel to connect Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland The 34.2 mile-long sea bridge cuts one commute from four hours to 45 minutes. In a few months’ time, this empty ocean highway will be filled with cars, buses, trucks and lorries, zipping between China, Hong Kong and Macau. As we are buffeted by a strong wind, the tough conditions his construction crew experienced, as they perched on precarious platforms, working miles from land and high over the water, are evident. “When it comes to linking the mainland to Hong Kong, we have air, sea and land linkages already. It will slash journey times between the three cities from three hours to 30 minutes, putting them all within an hour's commute of each other. There is no land in sight. While the true need for the bridge is disputed, it is undeniably an extraordinary feat of engineering. San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was the longest and tallest suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1937. PHILIP FONG/AFP/AFP/Getty Images. “Hong Kong is bursting. Updated Building islands from scratch didn’t prove easy, either, says Xinglin. Home to 68 million people, the Greater Bay Area covers 21,800 square miles (56,500 square kilometers) in central southern China, and encompasses 11 cities – Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities across Guangdong province. You see it, and you know you’re linked up to the motherland.”. The breathtaking Millau Viaduct Bridge in southwestern France, designed by English architect Norman Foster and completed in 2004, measures 1,125 feet at its tallest point. Spanning the Lianjiang River in Guangdong Province, the structure has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the longest glass-bottomed bridge in the world. China builds world’s longest bridge across the sea Yesterday China opened the world’s longest bridge across the sea , connecting Hong Kong with Macau on the mainland. Stretching more than 12 kilometers in length, it will … A consortium of construction companies formed under the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), CCCC South America Regional Company, and China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation have signed an agreement with the state of Bahia, Brazil to build the longest cable sea bridge in Brazil that will link the city of Salvador to the island of Itaparica. But with the main construction of the bridge now complete, officials are putting the finishing touches to the project – finalizing plans for customs arrangements and operations at checkpoint facilities, determining responsibility for emergency rescue operations, and negotiating toll prices. At 7,709 feet long, the Evergreen Point Bridge, which carries traffic across Lake Washington in Seattle, is the world's longest floating bridge -- it relies on more than 70 concrete pontoons. Nowadays, it is much loved by locals and no longer a cause for concern. Spanning 34 miles (55 kilometers), this is the longest sea-crossing bridge ever built. To make the best use of the massive stimulus package, China is to build the world's longest bridge to connect mainland China,Hong Kong and Macao to bring the economic ties closer. AFP/AFP/Getty Images. “You can’t see the existing transport connections – in a literal way. Built to withstand a magnitude eight earthquake, a super typhoon, and strikes by super-sized cargo vessels, it incorporates 400,000 tons of steel – 4.5 times the amount in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. China Opens the World's Longest Sea Bridge. PHOTO: Mo also believes that Hong Kong has spent too much money on the bridge. It is the world's longest bridge. “To compete with other bay areas in the world, the Chinese government has to remove or reduce these barriers … and promote integration among the cities,” says Chan. If an account exists, we've sent an email with a link to reset your password. 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