Hong Kong Zhuhai-Macao Bridge(HZMB)opened on October 24, 2018. It's the longest cross-sea bridge in the world. The bridge is 55 kilometres long. It connects Hong Kong and Macao to the Chinese mainland city of Zhuhai. Construction (建筑工程) on the HZMB began in 2009. It is considered as one of the “seven wonders of the modern world”.
The HZMB is the only one in many ways. It can withstand wind speeds of up to 185 km/h and earthquakes with magnitude (震级) of up to 8. It's designed to have a service life of 120 years, 20 years longer than most bridges.
And it's not just a bridge, but also part tunnel (隧道) and part island. In one section (部分) , the bridge turns into a 6. 7-km undersea tunnel. And the tunnel passes through two man-made islands. The tunnel is the world's longest undersea tunnel for road traffic, allowing large ships to continue passing through the sea area above the tunnel.
The HZMB makes it more convenient to travel between the three areas. It can shorten (缩短) the travelling time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai. People used to spend four hours, but now it takes about 45 minutes.
By making local cities and areas closer together, the HZMB helps the areas' development. It can develop the economy (经济) of Hong Kong, Macao and nine Guangdong cities.
