Green light for Macau, Hong Kong, Zhuhai bridge 興建港珠澳大橋 (兴建港珠澳大桥)

China has given the green light to link Hong Kong to Macau and the mainland with a multi-billion-dollar road bridge after the long waiting approval process. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge have proposed an enormous structure stretching 29 km (18 miles).

The newspaper said it would directly connect Hong Kong and Macau and to the booming ports in southern China’s Pearl River Delta region, such as Zhuhai. The funding of this project is estimate cost at 31.5 billion yuan ($3.8 billion).

“We are going to make a big breakthrough in infrastructure cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland,” Ma Kai, head of the National Development and Reform Commission, was quoted as saying during the ongoing session of China’s parliament. He said government leaders had approved the bridge during talks with Tung Chee-hwa, the former Hong Kong’s chief executive rumoured to be ready to quit his post.

Authorities in Hong Kong, Macau and the southern Chinese city Guangdong had all agreed to let the private sector to fund for the over-water highway, Sarah Liao, secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works of Hong Kong, was quoted as saying.

The bridge would halve the time for the current 60 km (37 mile) trip from Hong Kong to Macau or the major southern port of Zhuhai. It is possibly to make travel time less than half an hour.

The feasibility studies on the bridge had been completed but did not specify when construction would begin. “The bridge will promote the socio-economic development of Pearl River West (region), promote the development of tourism industries and perfect the regional transport network,” Liao was quoted as saying.

Pic Source : timeinc.net

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