HZMB Bridge
The HZMB bridge is considered the longest bridge in the world, the abbreviation stands for Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau. Its length is 55 kilometers. There are no analogues of the Chinese construction in any country. The complex consists of bridges and tunnels crossing the Pearl River Delta. Its service life is approximately 120 years.
History of origin
Back in 1980, the Chinese government came up with the idea of connecting Hong Kong with Guangdong Province. It was finalized, and in 2003 a project was developed for the construction of the most ambitious project in the world, the HZMB Bridge, which unites 3 cities. Hundreds of scientific and research organizations have joined this work. The project was approved in 2008. Construction work started a year later.
Initially, it was announced that the HZMB bridge would be operational in 2016. But the bridge opened in 2018. In October, the movement of buses began. More than $11 billion has been allocated for these purposes. Of the length of 55 kilometers, 38 kilometers are bridges. The main part of the HZMB bridge consists of almost 30 kilometers, the length of the underwater tunnel is 6.7 kilometers. The main bridge is connected to 3 sections of cable-stayed bridges, the length of which varies between 280 and 460 meters.
Design features
Thanks to the thoughtful design, travel between parts of China was reduced from 4 hours to half an hour. The HZMB bridge weighs approximately 400 tons. The builders are confident that it will last more than 100 years. The advantage of the construction is its resistance to typhoons, earthquakes and hurricanes. The tunnel is located at a depth of almost 50 meters. All safety tests were successful before commissioning.
It is recommended to travel along the bridge at speeds up to 100 kilometers per hour. It is open to buses and vehicles for transporting passengers or cargo. It is mandatory for everyone to go through immigration control. Private cars can only travel with a special permit, and taxi service is prohibited in this place. The HZMB bridge, consisting of 6 lanes for traffic, is recognized as one of the safest in the world. At the same time, it does not disrupt the movement of ships.
