The new Hengqin Checkpoint will come into operation at 3 pm Tuesday, Aug 18, according to a public notice posted Aug 11 by the Zhuhai Port Bureau.

Accordingly, Macao's Lotus Checkpoint will move to the new facility. Passenger inspection channels and exit driving lanes at the former Hengqin Checkpoint will be relocated, while entry driving lanes are retained for the time being.

Border-crossing trucks will be temporarily diverted to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port and the Zhuhai-Macao Cross-Border Industrial Zone in Maoshengwei of Gongbei until further notice. 

New Hengqin Checkpoint [Photo by Shen Yang / WeChat account: zhuhaifabu]

Currently, all facilities and signals are in place at the new checkpoint at 2050 East Huandao Road. The first floor, which has 53 self-service, six staffed, and four jointly staffed inspection channels, is for travelers exiting Zhuhai for Macao. The second floor is for entry to Zhuhai, and has 43 self-service, seven staffed, and four jointly staffed inspection channels.

The "Joint Inspection & One-time Release" mode will cut customs clearance time to fewer than 60 seconds. Macao-bound travelers will queue up and have documents examined only once.

The new facility is designed to handle 222,000 daily crossings and an annual throughput of 80 million. This is expected to greatly enhance infrastructure connectivity, and facilitate transport, flow of people, and commercial and trade activities between Zhuhai and Macao.

In the future, a channel bridge will be built to connect the new checkpoint with the University of Macau's Hengqin Campus across the Central Channel to the south.