The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and tunnel seen on Sunday, as final preparations were made for its opening on Wednesday. [Photo by Vincent Chan/ China Daily]

8. Why the bridge does not connect to Shenzhen?

Looking toward the future of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Liu Xiaodong, a major designer of HZMB, told China Daily that there will be five bridges across the Pearl River Estuary by around 2035, or one sea crossing every 20 kilometers parallelly.

Future traffic demand was taken into account during the preliminary design for the bridge, back in 2003, Liu said.

"You can't expect one bridge to meet all needs," Liu said. "HZMB may not carry the largest traffic volume; as the first sea crossing in the Pearl River Estuary, it will pave the way for the adjustment of industrial structure in the Bay Area," he said.

HZMB has also accumulated precious experience for similar projects in the future.

The under-construction Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is a perfect example. Based on technologies, marine data, talents and all the other experience from HZMB, the new link is also a bridge-island-tunnel complex, about 40 kilometers to the north of HZMB.