An engineering marvel the Jiaozhou bay bridge has finally opened up after four years of construction. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge under construction. China builds the world’s longest bridge over the sea in 2018 Xi Jinping, the president of China, has inaugurated the world’s longest bridge over the sea.The numbers needed to build it are incredible; a budget of 20 billion dollars, 400 thousand tons of steel, and 9 years to build it. 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. 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. 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. “When it comes to linking the mainland to Hong Kong, we have air, sea and land linkages already. Imaginechina/Corbis. The longest, highest and fastest-built on the planet: "Unparalleled" is perhaps the best word to describe the scale and ingenuity of China's bridge … 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. PHOTO: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images. The first episode is on China's record bridge-building. With every setback the official opening date – originally planned for late 2016 – has been further delayed, which led some to doubt whether the bridge would ever come to fruition. This will be built by Chinese firm, China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) after it signed a deal with the country to design and build the bridge. 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. Information supplied by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority has revealed that the total cost of the main bridge was $7.56 billion, $4.32 billion of which was funded with bank loans. San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge was the longest and tallest suspension bridge in the world when it was completed in 1937. Sidu River Bridge, China, 1,627 feet (2009) 4. Mo also believes that Hong Kong has spent too much money on the bridge. “You can’t see the existing transport connections – in a literal way. It … The tunnel runs between two artificial islands, each measuring one million square feet (100,000 square meters) and situated in relatively shallow waters. Firm to build longest bridge By Lu Haoting (China Daily) Updated: 2007-07-14 06:51. According to various media reports, financing relating to the Maputo-Catembe Bridge project was granted as a loan agreement to the government of Mozambique. Although the bridge is an engineering marvel, its construction has been dogged by controversy. In a statement, the Highways Department told CNN that seven workers had died, and 275 had been injured, while working on Hong Kong’s link road and boundary crossing facility. There is no land in sight. 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. 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. It is considered an engineering wonder and its supporters say it will boost connectivity and tourism in the region. A Warner Media Company. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge was lit up in Hong Kong on Monday, days before opening for public use. PHOTO: After multiple delays, the bridge is due to open in summer 2018. 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. STR/AFP/Getty Images. While the true need for the bridge is disputed, it is undeniably an extraordinary feat of engineering. PHOTO: China is already home to (now the second) longest sea bridge, which spans 26.3 miles. China's President Xi Jinping (left) and Hong Kong's chief executive Carrie Lam (center) in Hong Kong, watching a presentation during a visit to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge on July 1, 2017. Critics have also questioned the environmental and human toll and the immense financial cost of the project. Locals feared that the dark tunnel would spell disaster for the morals of the town's younger population. The team used hydraulic hammers to drive the cylinders into the seabed, then filled the cylinders and the enclosed area with sand. D ropcap the popularization of the “ideal measure” has led to advice such as “Increase font … by boostnow. Gao says the most technically difficult aspect was the construction of a four mile (6.7 kilometer) long submerged tunnel. “The relevant requirements on occupational safety are included in the contract provisions of the public works contracts … Highways Department has also required contractors to strictly implement the safety measures.”. If an account exists, we've sent an email with a link to reset your password. “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. DALE DE LA REY/AFP/Getty Images. 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. Dropcap the popularization of the “ideal measure” has led to advice such as “Increase font size for large screens and That’s where the bridge comes in. The Maputo-Catembe Bridge straddles the Indian Ocean inlet of the Espirito Santo estuary, hovering 60 metres above the azure waters below. We already get more tourists than the whole of the UK.” In 2016, Hong Kong welcomed 56.7 million tourist arrivals, whereas the UK received 37.6 million overseas visitors. PHOTO: A spokesman at Hong Kong’s Transport and Housing Bureau told CNN that Hong Kong spent an additional $4.57 billion on its Boundary Crossing Facilities, and $3.19 billion on a link road from the main bridge to the boundary crossing. PHOTO: 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. To complete your CNN profile and ensure you are able to receive important account information, please verify your email address. Due to open to the public this summer, this long snake of bitumen will connect a relatively small city on the Chinese mainland with the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. China Opens the World's Longest Sea Bridge. The bridge is not the only cross-border development underway. The $20 billion Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is the world's longest sea-crossing bridge. AFP/AFP/Getty Images. Fortunately, the bridge has SO MANY problems. PHOTO: “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.”. Stretching more than 55km (34 miles), the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge spans the Pearl River Delta and is an unparalleled engineering feat. See China’s new 34-mile-long bridge linking Hong Kong, mainland World’s longest sea-crossing span cost $20 billion, took almost decade to build Although the bridge is not yet open to the public, the main construction work has been completed and driving trials are being conducted. Please click the button below to agree to our Terms and Conditions and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. Success! Jinshajiang Bridge, China, 1,680 feet (2021) 3. 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. Krämerbrücke -- "Merchant's Bridge" --located in Erfurt, Germany, is a stone arch bridge dating back to 1325. China Plans to Build World's Longest Bridge Zhejiang, one of the most developed provinces in east China, is planning to build the world's longest bridge, a 36 … At a cost of US$49 million, Ethiopia is set to build its longest bridge. But this bridge is very visible … you can see it from the plane when you fly in to Hong Kong, and it’s breathtaking,” says Mo. MANILA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- China and the Philippines have recently signed contracts to build three more bridges in the capital Metro Manila to help improve traffic congestion, the Chinese embassy in the Philippines said on Monday. ​Stretching more than 12 kilometers in length, it will be the longest structure over water in ​all of Latin America. Beipanjiang Bridge Duge, China 1,854 feet (2016) 2. October 31, 2020. in Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Walmart (NYSE: WMT), News, Travel. Like other critics, Mo believes that building the bridge was a political act. Updated The $20 billion Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is the world's longest sea-crossing bridge. Success! The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge -- from underneath. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will connect a relatively small city on the Chinese mainland with the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. Copyright © 2020 CGTN. The speed limit on the bridge has been set at 62 miles (100 kilometers) an hour. Japan's Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge spans 2.43 miles and connects the city of Kobe to Awaji Island. China's giant "Bridge of Death" attempts to push Hong Kong closer to mainland China. Gao is visibly proud of his country’s monumental achievement. It is built to withstand earthquakes (a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit in 1995), consistently strong tidal currents (9 knots), and wind gusts up to 179 mph. A key reason for building the bridge is that it will facilitate the export of goods from factories located on the west side of the Pearl River Delta. 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. 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. The bridge … “We excavated a foundation trench in the sea bed, laid a rock bed, then immersed the elements,” he says. The big draw in Macau – a former Portuguese colony – is its casinos. 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. “The bridge is a waste of money,” says Claudia Mo, an independent lawmaker who supports greater democracy in Hong Kong. See what potential user​s think of the project. Stretching more than 12 kilometers in length, it will … Gao Xinglin, assistant director and senior engineer at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority, meets us half way along. 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. 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. Nowadays, it is much loved by locals and no longer a cause for concern. A structural frame was created using 120 giant, hollow, steel cylinders, each one 165 feet (50 meters) high (equivalent to an 17-story building) and weighing 550 tons – about the same as an Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger jet. GYRO PHOTOGRAPHY/amanaimages/Corbis. Mo says she is unsure that Hong Kong’s roads can cope with the extra vehicular traffic the bridge will bring, and she believes the territory doesn’t need any more tourists. © 2020 Cable News Network. PHILIP FONG/AFP/AFP/Getty Images. All Rights Reserved. The bridge is a central plank in China's ambitious plans to develop the Greater Bay Area. The Chinese firm secured the project to build the Bahir Dar Abay Bridge by placing an offer, which was 15.3% higher than the engineer’s estimates. Check out The China Report, our new weekly newsletter. Opened on 29 April, 2009, with a main span of 552 meters, Chaotianmen Bridge in Chongqing is the longest arch bridge in the world, which connected 3 major commercial areas of this city. The elements were precast on Guishan Island, near Zhuhai, and transported to the construction site by floating pontoons and tugboats. Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3, Chinese companies to build longest bridge over water in Brazil. Spanning 34 miles (55 kilometers), this is the longest sea-crossing bridge ever built. Introducing the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge, the world's longest bridge over seawater. This massive span of concrete and steel is not just proof of China’s ability to build record-setting megastructures – it’s also a potent symbol of the country’s growing geopolitical ambitions. 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. PHOTO: Password reset email has been resent. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images. imagebroker / Alamy. Kenny Williams / Alamy. “The steel structures were manufactured in a workshop in Shanghai and then transported to the site by ship,” Gao tells CNN. “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. Called the world's longest cross-sea project, the bridge … PHOTO: Construction workers put the finishing touches to a section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge in Zhuhai. “Hong Kong is bursting. Additionally, residents carry three different passports and identity cards, and speak two different languages (Cantonese and Mandarin). Yes, it's made of pure Arctic ice. 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. It is the world's longest bridge. The region incorporates three borders (Hong Kong/China; Macau/China; Hong Kong/Macau), three different legal systems and three different currencies. Crossing the bridge will cost locals $2.60; an exorbitant amount of money by Mozambican standards. 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 … The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge runs alongside Hong Kong's international airport -- the busiest cargo airport in the world. Building islands from scratch didn’t prove easy, either, says Xinglin. Critics argue that the $20 billion infrastructure mega-project is politically driven and a costly white elephant. 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