Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

{{Chinese |s=港珠澳大桥 |t=港珠澳大橋 |p=Gǎngzhū'ào Dàqiáo |j=gong2 jyu1 ou3 daai6 kiu4 |lang1=English |lang1_content= Hong Kong-Zhuhai-
Macau Bridge |pic=Concept_Plan_for_Lantau.jpg |piccap=The bridge in relation to [[Lantau Island]], Hong Kong }} The in-construction '''Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge''' is a series of [[bridge]]s and [[tunnel]]s that will connect the west side of [[Hong Kong]] to [[Macau]] and the [[Guangdong province]] city of [[Zhuhai]], which are situated on the west side of the [[Pearl River Delta]]. The proposed {{Convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} link is expected to cost [[United States dollar|US$]]10.7 billion. With its length, it would become one of the landmarks within the area. Though overall length exceeds the Second [[Lake Pontchartrain Causeway]] in the [[United States]], which is {{convert|38.4|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} long according to the [[Guinness Book of World Records]], the longest bridge section (between the artificial islands containing the Macau exit of the tunnel and the Macau border facilities), which will include three cable-stayed spans with spans between {{convert|280|-|460|m|ft|abbr=on}}, will be {{convert|22.8|km|mi|abbr=on}} long. Construction formally began on 15 December 2009. It is due to be completed in 2015-2016. ==Background== In 1982, the rapid growth and demand of cross-border traffic prompted an agreement between the Hong Kong Government and the [[Shenzhen]] authorities. This agreement suggested an improvement of connections by opening up new road links. Also proposed was the construction of a footbridge at [[Lo Wu]], introduction of [[ferry]] services, and enhancement of [[inspection]] facilities and services at [[Exit ramp|exit]] and entry points. Currently there are six major border crossings connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen: #[[Man Kam To]] crossing provides the most direct access to the Shenzhen city centre (vehicles only) #[[Sha Tau Kok]] crossing connects Hong Kong with routes heading to the east of Shenzhen #[[Lok Ma Chau]] crossing provides a link to Futian area of Shenzhen (vehicles only HK side) #[[Lok Ma Chau]] crossing links to the Futian area of Shenzhen and metro lines (rail only) #[[Lo Wu]] crossing provides a [[Rail transport|rail]] connection between Hong Kong and central Shenzhen for passengers only. The number of passengers can reach up to 400,000 during peak hours, often at the beginning or the end of a long holiday period. #[[Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor]] opened in 2007 and accessed via a road bridge directly from HK this crossing is unique in that both immigration for Hong Kong and China are located in the same building on the China side of the bridge. Access only by authorised vehicles on HK side. Continuous expansion works have been done at these three crossings to meet the increasing demand for passenger handling capacity. Additionally, those who are granted special permission and licenses prefer to drive across the border in order to avoid the high flow of travellers at those three gateways. Lo Wu is still the main node linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Railway to the Lo Wu crossing receives much traffic from the towns. Everyday, millions of rail users pass by Lo Wu en route to Shenzhen. In order to cope with the vast amount of cross-border traffic, a gradual extension of the opening hours and series of improvement works at the Terminal have been initiated. In order to provide long-term relief to the [[Traffic congestion|congestion]] at Lo Wu, various projects have been approved and endorsed. The Hong Kong Government and the relevant [[Mainland China|Mainland]] authorities have identified the need to open new border crossings. At the third meeting of the Mainland/Hong Kong Conference on the Co-ordination of Major [[Infrastructure]] Projects (the Conference) held on 20 September 2002, it was agreed that a joint study should be conducted on the transport linkage between Hong Kong and Pearl River West. An important study was completed by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Hong Kong Government on the transport linkage between Hong Kong and the western bank of the Pearl River Delta. The study points out that a bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau will provide significant macro socio-economic benefits for the Greater Pearl River Delta Region including Hong Kong. [[Government]]s of [[Guangdong]], Hong Kong and Macau were authorized by the [[People's Republic of China|Chinese]] authorities to set up the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Advance Work Coordination Group to follow up the project. There will be intensive studies on the [[hydrology]], [[environmental protection]], economic benefits, routing, passenger and freight traffic flow of the bridge. The study analyses the current situation of [[transport]] linkage between Hong Kong, Macau and Pearl River West, existing problems and deficiencies; it also forecasts the passenger and freight traffic flow between Hong Kong and Pearl River West. The report points out that the current transport linkage between Pearl River West and Hong Kong is weak and land transport involves a [[Road|detour]] via Human Bridge resulting in an increase in transport time and cost. The report also predicts the passenger traffic flow between the eastern and western banks of the Greater Pearl River Delta (PRD) in 2020 will reach 180-240 million and freight traffic 169–220 million [[tonne]]s. Of these traffic volumes, the passenger and freight traffic flow between Hong Kong and the western bank of the PRD will significantly increase. An increase of the passenger flow of the Bridge and [[cargo]] demand are also anticipated. The study has considered three alignments linking the two banks of Pearl River. [[Fieldwork]] and seminars have been conducted, and views and analyses from various sources have been taken into consideration. The result of the study is that the Hong Kong (Lantau)-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge proposed by the [[HKSAR]] Government, a link connecting the three places under the "[[one country two systems]]", is the most urgent one and bears significant [[political]] and [[economic]] implications. The study points out that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge will alter the present passive condition of the transport linkage between Hong Kong and Pearl River West which relies mainly on [[water transport]]. It will shorten the distance from Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai from 60 km to 30 km, and reduce the journey time to within half an hour. As a result, Pearl River West will lie within the 3-hour transport network that radiates from Hong Kong as its centre. ==Preparation== In order to coordinate the project, Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Advance Work Coordination Group was established in 2003. In the second meeting, officials from three sides decided to set up an office specifically in [[Guangzhou]] to do the work of the group and appointed a [[design]] [[institute]] in the [[Mainland China|Mainland]] to conduct the feasibility study and produce a report on landing points for the bridge. The landing points are still being studied and factors such as economic effectiveness and environmental issues will determine where they are. For the part of the bridge that is situated in Hong Kong, the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau plans to seek $59 million from the [[Legislative Council]]'s public works subcommittee for investigations and preliminary design work. Preliminary design work on the proposed Y-shaped bridge is expected to be completed by the end of 2004. ==Timeline== {| class="wikitable" border="1" |- !colspan="3" | Timeline of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Proposal |- ! Year ! Events |- |1983 |Gordon Wu proposes the idea of the bridge. |- |1989 |[[Zhuhai]] publishes the [[Lingdingyang Bridge]] program. |- |1997 |China's central government shows support for the [[Lingdingyang Bridge]] program. |- |2002 (November) | [[Zhu Rongji]], the Premier of China at that time, shows support of Wu's idea. |- |2003 |The Chinese government shows support of the idea. |- |2003 (July) |[[Donald Tsang]], the Chief Secretary for Administration of [[Hong Kong]], goes to [[Beijing]] to meet with the Chinese government about the bridge. |- |2003 (August) |The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Advance Work Coordination Group was established. |- |2007 (May) |Seabed feasibility study began. |- |2008 (August) | China's Central Government, the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau agreed to finance 42% of the total costs. The remaining 58% will consist of loans (approximately 22 billion [[Chinese yuan|yuan]] or 3.23 billion [[US dollars]]) from [[Bank of China]]. |- |2009 (March) |China's Central Government, Hong Kong and Macau agrees to finance 22% of the total costs. The remaining 78% will consist of loans (approximately 57.3 billion [[Chinese yuan|yuan]] or 8.4 billion [[US dollars]]) from a consortium of banks led by the [[Bank of China]]. |- |2009 (December) |Construction of the bridge begins. Vice Premier of Chinese Government [[Li Keqiang]] took charge of the commencement ceremony. |} ===Economic=== Advocates suggest that by slashing travel times between the eastern and western banks of the [[Pearl River Delta]], parts of less-developed southern China will gain improved access to global markets through Hong Kong. In addition, it is said that Hong Kong will benefit from this project in the long term, through the enhanced flow of [[labour (economics)|labour]], goods and [[Capital (economics)|capital]] between China and the rest of the world. The concept of this project is similar to that of the [[Chesapeake Bay]] [[Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel|Bridge Tunnel]] in [[Virginia]], United States. An undersea [[tunnel]] will become a portion of the whole infrastructure in order to allow large container [[Ship|vessels]] to pass. The 29-km [[Span (architecture)|span]] would make it one of the world's longest bridges and is expected to reduce travelling times between Hong Kong and Zhuhai or Macau to approximately 40 minutes; down from 4.5 hours (by road) at present. Although this project is supported by the general public{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}, there are some potential drawbacks. Some scholars{{Who|date=May 2010}} pointed out that Hong Kong and Macau will become direct competitors for Mainland Chinese tourists. While Macau generally attracts a different market from Hong Kong, with the bridge, tourists from Mainland China can bypass Hong Kong and thus Hong Kong will no longer act as a conduit for visitors to Macau. This may possibly have a profound effect on Hong Kong's [[tourism]] industry - an industry that depends significantly on stopover visitors. Nonetheless, differences in opinions exist. While the bridge will make Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau more accessible, the degree to which it will make the area more attractive as a whole for tourists will vary. In particular, a rail link was seen as important for boosting the local tourism industry - something that is very unlikely to be realized. In the meantime, the construction of the bridge will give a boost to the [[construction]] industry, which may help alleviate [[unemployment]] and [[underemployment]], which can boost the region's economy. ===Socio-economic effects=== It seems that Hong Kong will benefit from the following aspects with the construction of the proposed bridge: *Alleviating congestion in existing cross-border checkpoints *Encouraging deeper economic integration between Hong Kong and Pearl River Delta Region (PRD) *Promoting the socio-economic development of the Pearl River West *Strengthening Hong Kong's position as the [[logistics]] centre *Facilitating development of [[tourism]] industry in PRD *Creating more employment opportunities *Making use of [[investment]] from [[private sector]] *Perfecting the regional transport network The bridge will benefit the economic development of the whole of the Delta. For Hong Kong, the project will enable the city to continue its status as an international [[aviation]] and [[shipping]] centre. The Bridge will also help realise the strategic benefits of promoting the socio-economic development of the western Pearl River. In linking up Hong Kong, Macau and Zhuhai, the bridge will form a systematic regional transport network and provide an overland link. This link will substantially shorten the travelling time between the eastern and western sides of the southern tip of the PRD. Faster economic integration between Hong Kong and the region is expected with the increasing flows of people, goods and even capital. With closer economic tie between Hong Kong and its neighbouring region, Hong Kong can assume a leading role in driving the economic development in South China. Chinese and Hong Kong leaders are able to hammer out the plans for a giant bridge linking Hong Kong to mainland China and Macau, a US$2 billion project driven by [[Beijing]]'s desire to show the [[territory (country subdivision)|territory]] can thrive under its rule.The urgency{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} Beijing has placed on the 29 kilometer-long bridge and quicker economic integration between Hong Kong and China was triggered{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} by a July 1, 2003 [[protest]] march when half a million [[Demographics of Hong Kong|Hong Kongers]] took to the streets to express their discontent with government.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} In promoting the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge and closer cross-border economic ties, Beijing is throwing a [[wikt:lifeline|lifeline]] to economically battered Hong Kong. The bridge is the second major high-profile project between China and Hong Kong between June and August, 2003. In late June 2003, the two signed a free trade pact - a [[Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement|Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement]] or called CEPA, further opening China to Hong Kong companies. ===Tourism industry=== Different opinions are said about the impact of the bridge on the tourism industry in Hong Kong. Some think the bridge will be a boost to the local tourism industry especially if the bridge contains a rail link, which will increase the capacity of passenger travel across the bridge. The bridge will provide tourists with the opportunity of visiting Macau and the western part of the PRD by road or by rail on top of visiting Hong Kong. The new multi-destination itineraries will definitely enhance the tourist experience in the region. As a matter of fact, this has been a strong selling point for Hong Kong's tourism [[promotion (marketing)|promotion]]. Another advantage is that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau link will also encourage more Macau and PRD [[Residency (domicile)|resident]]s to visit Hong Kong and shop there. The growing number of these inbound visitors will give a further boost to the local tourism industry and their spending will be a boost to economy as well. Conversely, some see the bridge as a hazard to Hong Kong's tourism industry as they believe that with the new bridge there will be fewer people traveling to Mainland China or Macau via Hong Kong. Since tourism plays an important role in generating revenue for Hong Kong, a loss of tourists will directly affect other sectors in Hong Kong. The route of the road link for the bridge will have an adverse effect on the natural beauty of Tung Chung Bay (through which the Hong Kong road section is routed) and hence damage the tourism experience in the area, which includes the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, the Tung Chung retail 'outlets', and the country park walks around the bay. ===Logistics=== As Hong Kong enjoys a number of competitive advantages in developing its logistics industry, namely, excellent infrastructure and [[telecommunications]] facilities, well-established [[financial]] and [[legal]] systems, very good international connections and a free market. To strengthen its position as a [[transportation hub]] in the region, the HKSAR government has indicated its intention to develop Nansha as a logistics base while the Airport Authority is having closer cooperation with the Zhuhai [[airport]]. Their [[strategy]] in lining up with these cities located in the west side of the PRD will be best served by the bridge. It will link Hong Kong to the west side of the PRD and hook it up with the ever-expanding network of [[Controlled-access highway|expressways]] in China. With the presence of better transportation network, Hong Kong’s logistics industry will not only be able to get more business in the PRD but also extend their services into the inland areas of the Mainland including the resource-rich [[Sichuan]] Province. Hence, Hong Kong will become an important logistics centre for the whole country. With the bridge in place, Hong Kong can make avail itself of the Central Government’s ‘Go West’ Development plan to turn itself into a transportation hub to the western region. It has hence within its reach a [[hinterland]] with abundant natural resources and a potential market made up of a huge [[population]] with growing affluence. ===Cross-border checkpoints=== The bridge will connect Hong Kong to Macau and Zhuhai, it will provide a direct link for passengers and freight traffic heading for the western part of the PRD. This will help alleviate the heavy [[Traffic congestion|congestion]] at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen cross-border checkpoints and reduce the economic losses arising from the daily hold-up at these border crossings. Although part of the [[equation]] for alleviating the congestion at the [[border]] hinges on better and more efficient arrangements in [[customs]] clearance and [[immigration|immigration control]], an overland link to the west of the PRD will certainly relieve the pressure on existing border checkpoints. Additional [[statistics]] about cross-border checkpoints in Hong Kong: {| class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan="2" scope="col" | Checkpoint ! colspan="2" scope="col" | Opening hours |- ! scope="col" | Passengers ! scope="col" | Goods vehicles |- ! scope="row" | Lok Ma Chau (Road) | 24 hours | 24 hours |- ! scope="row" | Lok Ma Chau (Rail) | 06:30 – 22:30 | - |- ! scope="row" | Lo Wu | 06:30 – 00:00 | - |- ! scope="row" | Man Kam To | 07:00 – 22:00 | 07:00 – 22:00 |- ! scope="row" | Sha Tau Kok | 07:00 – 20:00 | 07:00 – 20:00 |} These checkpoints all connect [[Hong Kong]] to Shenzhen. As the table shows, there is only one checkpoint that operates 24-hour for both [[vehicles|vehicular]] and passenger traffic. Moreover, there are no land connections to other parts of Guangdong Province making it rather inconvenient for those travelling to [[Zhuhai]] or [[Zhongshan]] directly west of Hong Kong across the [[Pearl River Delta]]. Thus, most passengers use the many [[ferries]] that shuttle between the various ports at a frequency ranging from 10 minutes to every hour depending on demand and time of the day. However, such ferries do not run late at night nor carry vehicular traffic and are affected by inclement weather conditions such as strong [[typhoons]] during the summer months - making the case for the building of a bridge. An alternative and perhaps more expensive method to travel to China and Macau would be by air. Both [[Shenzhen]] and [[Macau]] have opened up direct air routes to [[Hong Kong International Airport]] in the past decade. Several operators also offer [[helicopter]] flights between the cities. While the number of scheduled flights are limited, such aircraft can fly almost around the clock. However, the prohibitive costs make this a mode of transport for the very rich. ==See also== * [[Transportation in Hong Kong]] * [[Transportation in Macau]] * [[List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong]] *[[Tunnels and bridges in Hong Kong]] *[[List of streets and roads in Hong Kong#Bridges]] * [[Environment of Hong Kong]] * [[Environment of China]] *[[Lingdingyang Bridge]] ==External links== *[http://jmsc.hku.hk/jmsc6030/bridgestory/dossier/map/ click on a proposal to see it on the map] *[http://www.hyd.gov.hk/eng/major/road/projects/6787th/ Highway Department, Hong Kong] - with maps and status of the bridge *[http://www.pearlriverdelta.org/flashed.html www.pearlriverdelta.org] *[http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/calert/chc03085prd.htm www.tdctrade.com (中國商情快訊)] *[http://jmsc.hku.hk/jmsc6030/bridgestory/ Pearl River Crossings - Bridging the Delta, Building the Future] *[http://www.skyline-technologies.com/news/1003/231003.htm#1 Transport Advisory Committee briefed on HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge] *[http://www.tdctrade.com/main/economic.htm Economic & Trade Information on Hong Kong] *[http://www.etwb.gov.hk/about_us/welcome_message/index.aspx?langno=1&nodeid=28 The Environment, Transport and Works Bureau, Hong Kong] *[http://www.saveourshorelines.bizland.com/project03.html Save our Shoreline] *[http://www.designinghongkong.com/tungchung - Designing HK, Tung Chung Sustainable Development] {{coord missing|People's Republic of China}} {{Transport in Hong Kong|state=autocollapse}} {{Economy of Hong Kong navbox}}