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The world’s longest sea-crossing bridge was finally opened in October after nine years of construction.
The bridge connects Hong Kong, the autonomous region of Macau, and the Chinese city of Zhuhai [JOO-hahy]. These cities are considered to be the financial center of Asia, a mecca for gamblers, and a manufacturing powerhouse in China, respectively. Initially, the travel time between these locations was around three hours, but the bridge will cut it down to 30 minutes.
Spanning 55 kilometers, the bridge was built with 400,000 tons of steel and was designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. It is expected to operate for 120 years.
However, the bridge’s accessibility is still under some restrictions. To cross the bridge, private vehicle drivers need to obtain road permits and insurance. Those who fail to obtain the requirements can take private shuttle buses, with fares ranging from $8 to $10 for a single trip.
Additionally, toll fees will apply to all vehicles. The fees will cost around $8 to $43.
While people consider the bridge an engineering feat, it was met with criticisms. Because of the critics, the opening of the bridge, originally set in 2016, was pushed back for two years.
Some local media outlets have mocked the project by calling it the “bridge of death” because less than 10 workers died and 275 suffered injuries during its construction. Some government officials have also expressed concerns about the bridge’s financial sustainability. One official doubts that China will be able to earn back the construction cost, which amounted to $20 billion, considering that the bridge is accessible only to a few private cars.