The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, a mega cross-sea passage in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, opened to traffic on Sunday. [By Parker Zheng/China Daily]

Over 7,000 vehicles passed through the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, a mega cross-sea passage in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, in the first hour after its opening to traffic on Sunday afternoon, the local transportation authorities said.

The national major project, which commenced its trial operation at 3 pm on Sunday after seven years of construction, is a strategic link in the Greater Bay Area connecting the eastern and western banks of the Pearl River estuary.

The passage, which is located about 30 kilometers south of the Humen Bridge and 31 kilometers north of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, is a highway integrating bridges, islands, tunnels and underwater interchanges, with a total length of about 24 kilometers and relatively complex traffic conditions and environments.

To ensure safe passage, with the approval of the transportation and public security departments, a round-the-clock ban on the transportation of dangerous goods vehicles is implemented on the passage, according to the transportation company.

During the trial operation of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Passage, temporary traffic control measures will be imposed, prohibiting the passage of all oversized trucks.