The 55 km bridge was originally due to open in 2016, but repeated delays pushed that to this year.
A
$20-billion bridge connecting Hong
Kong and Macau to the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai is set to
finally open this week, marking the completion of the world's
longest sea-crossing bridge ever built, nine years after
construction began.
Chinese
President Xi Jinping is expected to attend a ceremony in Zhuhai on
Tuesday, along with top officials from Hong Kong and Macau, with the
bridge opening to public traffic Wednesday, CNN reported on Monday.
The
55 km bridge was originally due to open in 2016, but repeated delays
pushed that to this year.
It
is a key element of China's plan for a Greater Bay Area covering
56,500 square km across southern China,
and encompassing 11 cities, including Hong Kong and Macau, that are
home to a combined 68 million people.
Proponents
of the idea say the bridge will cut journey times between the cities
from three hours to 30 minutes, which they say will enable commuters
and tourists to easily move around the region.
Despite
the focus on drive time, private car owners in Hong Kong will not be
able to cross the bridge without a special permit.
Most
drivers will have to park at the Hong Kong port, switching to shuttle
bus or special hire cars once they are through immigration.
Shuttle
buses cost $8-$10 for a single trip depending on the time of day.
The
bridge project has come in for fierce criticism in Hong Kong, where
there was little public demand or appetite for greater links to
either Macau or Zhuhai, and fears the city will be swamped by
tourists from mainland China, CNN said.
In
2016, Hong Kong saw 56.7 million tourist arrivals, compared to 37.6
million for the UK, a much larger country.
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