Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the cities of Shenzhen and Zhongshan to emphasize the importance of the Greater Bay Area project. The project aims to integrate the cities of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, promoting economic development and cooperation in the region. President Xi called for further strides in promoting the integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and congratulated those behind the construction of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. The link, which opened on June 30, spans 24 km and consists of one underwater tunnel, two bridges, and two artificial islands. It will significantly reduce travel time between Hong Kong and cities along both sides of the Pearl River Delta. President Xi emphasized the importance of the link running securely, smoothly, comfortably, and intelligently to play a pioneering role in transport and promote the integrated development of the east and west sides of the Pearl River Delta. The completion of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link will reduce travel time between Shenzhen and Zhongshan from two hours to approximately 30 minutes, enhancing connectivity and facilitating economic integration within the Greater Bay Area. [68b83f18]
On the inaugural day of the new Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, Hong Kong tourists faced heavy traffic congestion and longer journey times than expected. The bus journey from Kwun Tong to Zhongshan, which was estimated to take 90 minutes, actually took six hours due to heavy congestion on the Guangshen Coastal Expressway. The bus finally reached the entrance tunnel of the new link in Shenzhen at 6.25pm and arrived in Zhongshan at 8.05pm. Passengers expressed dissatisfaction with the management of the link and the lack of staff to maintain order. Lawmakers who planned to use the link also encountered traffic jams and had to take an alternative route. Despite the inconvenience, they believe that such traffic jams will not be a regular occurrence in the future and that the link has the potential to attract more people to Zhongshan due to its lower cost of living. [ed475360]
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, a core transportation hub project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, has officially opened to traffic on June 30. This 24-km-long cross-sea link consists of one underwater tunnel, two bridges, and two artificial islands. The completion of this project will significantly reduce travel time between Shenzhen and Zhongshan, cutting it from the current two hours to approximately 30 minutes. This development will enhance connectivity and facilitate economic integration within the Greater Bay Area, promoting regional development and cooperation. [68b83f18]
China has achieved 10 world records for the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, a new cross-sea tunnel and bridge system spanning the Pearl River Estuary in Guangdong Province. The link spans 24 kilometers and connects the cities of Shenzhen and Zhongshan, reducing travel time from 2 hours to 30 minutes. It features an underwater tunnel flanked by two artificial islands, with each linked to the adjacent city by bridges. The project has achieved records such as the highest bridge deck, highest navigation clearance, largest offshore suspension bridge anchor, largest span for a fully offshore steel box girder suspension bridge, largest steel bridge deck with hot-mix epoxy asphalt paving, longest two-way, eight-lane immersed tube tunnel, highest wind resistance test speed for a suspension bridge, widest underwater steel shell-concrete immersed tube tunnel, widest repeatedly foldable M-shaped water stop used in the final joint of an immersed tube tunnel, and largest single-volume cast for a steel-shell immersed tube using self-compacting concrete. The link is expected to reshape the road network across the Pearl River Estuary and boost economic and social growth in the Greater Bay Area. [b0bcdd37]