Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

The deck of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao (HZM) Bridge became ready for paving as of 11 am on Sept 27 when all the various structures were fully connected.

Main part of Delta Bridge is connected on Sept 27. 

With a total length of 55 km, the HZM Bridge complex comprises an undersea tunnel, several spans, ports, and link roads. The 22.9 km main cable-stayed tri-bridges span the navigable Qingzhou, Jianghai, and Jiuzhou channels, plus 20 km of non-navigable above-water roadway.

Unobstructed HZM Bridge crosses Pearl River Delta. 

The "Chinese-knot" configuration on the Qingzhou Channel Overpass, dolphin-shaped steel towers on the Jianghai Channel Overpass, and sail-shaped steel towers on the Jiuzhou Channel Overpass near Lovers Avenue, were designed to add to the beauty of the Lingding Sea by integrating humanity with nature while uniting function and design.

Next step: deck paving [Photos by Li Jianshu and Zhong Fan / Zhuhai Daily]

Construction commenced in July 2012 and the bridge is expected to open in 2018. It will be the world's longest sea bridge and will reduce the travel time by roadway between Hong Kong and Zhuhai or Macao to 40 minutes from the current 4.5 hours.

The next step is the 700,000 sq m of bridge deck paving, which is the largest undertaking of its kind for a similar construction project worldwide.