The Wanqingsha branch line of Nansha-Zhongshan Expressway in Guangdong province has been fully connected and traffic is slated to start before the end of the year, linking Guangzhou's Nansha district to the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, an official from the Nansha district government said.

It will play a big part in strengthening the connection between Nansha Port, a shipping hub in the southern Chinese region, and Shenzhen, which borders the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, said Peng Wenli, an official with the Nansha district housing and urban-rural development bureau.

The 32.4-kilometer Nansha-Zhongshan Expressway, linking Nansha to Zhongshan city, opened to traffic in April, while the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which runs across the estuary of the Pearl River, will begin trial operation on Sunday, further promoting the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, said Peng.

The project provides strong support and huge opportunities for Nansha to participate in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and helps Nansha improve its level of opening-up to the outside world, he said.

It will take less than 20 minutes for vehicles to travel from Nansha Port to Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport via the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, and less than 15 minutes to Zhongshan city, hometown of Sun Yat-sen, via the Nansha-Zhongshan Expressway.

It currently takes about two hours for drivers to complete the journey between Zhongshan and Shenzhen via Humen or Nansha bridges, which have witnessed heavy traffic jams during peak periods.

The road toll of the eight-lane, 24-kilometer Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link will be 66 yuan ($9.10).

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which includes sea tunnels, a bridge above the sea and artificial islands, is another mega project that operates across the estuary of the Pearl River following Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which started operation in 2018 and is about 38 kilometers to the south.

The link connects the city clusters of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou in the eastern part of the Pearl River Delta to the prosperous cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing in the western part, further enhancing the infrastructure connectivity, cooperation and exchanges among the GBA cities.

It is beneficial for Nansha Port to improve its gateway function and achieve high-quality development in the months to come, Peng said.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link connects Guangdong's three pilot free trade zones of Qianhai in Shenzhen, Nansha in Guangzhou and Hengqin in Zhuhai.

The structure is designed to have a life span of more than 100 years.