This one hell of a bridge between China and Hong Kong just opened to traffic.
Photo: Vaaju.com
The engineering marvel which took nine years to complete spans 55 km(about 34 miles) and cost $20 bn to construct. It connects Hong Kong to Macau and the Chinese city Zhuhai.
The construction of the mammoth of a bridge was marred by numerous safety issues which caused delays in its completion (the bridge was originally scheduled for completion in 2016). At least Eighteen workers died during its construction according to official counts.
Photo: TIME
The bridge would cut down travel time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong by three and a half hours, reducing it from four hours to just thirty minutes. Amid attempts by Xi of consolidating his grip over Hong Kong, the bridge is part of China’s greater plan of creating a Greater Bay Area which would include Hong Kong and other cities in Southern China.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CqY9RQmFKs
However, not everyone is happy with the construction, particularly in Hong Kong. According to CNN, there was not any significant demand for more bridges to Zhuhai or Macau from Hong Kong.
Nevertheless, critics aside, the bridge opened amid much fanfare and is really a sight to behold.