The world’s longest sea bridge, which connects Hong Kong and Macau (the world’s largest gambling center) with mainland China, has been officially opened.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge spans 55km (34 miles). With this bridge, Chinese intend to create a global science and technology hub.
Here are some of its features:
- This masterpiece is six lanes wide and was reportedly built using 420,000 tons of steel (more steel than as many as 60 Eiffel Towers).
- It will connect two Chinese territories, Hong Kong and Macau to nine nearby cities.
- The $20-billion (£15.3bn) bridge took almost a decade to build.
- The bridge includes 4-mile (6.4 kilometre) underwater tunnel which connect two artificial islands. This tunnel allows ships to pass through and prevent the disruption of shipping lanes.
- The bridge is open only for certain vehicles like shuttles, freight cars, and private cars with permits. However pedestrians and bicyclists are prohibited.
- Officials expect the bridge will cut travel time across the delta from several hours to just 30 minutes
- Bridge is designed to last for more than a century.
- It has the capacity to withstand major storms, earthquakes and super-sized cargo vessel collisions.
- As drivers cross the bridge, their heart rate and blood pressure will be monitored and the information will be sent to the bridge’s control centre.
- There are cameras monitoring drivers, if a driver yawns more than three times in 20 seconds, the “yawn cam” will raise an alert.
