Hengqin Checkpoint and Macao New Neighborhood are among six expanding projects to be funded by the Guangdong Province Development & Reform Commission, and three other Hengqin works in preparation have also been named Key Construction Projects for investment in 2022, it was announced March 21.

Civil engineering and electromechanical installation of the 26-billion-yuan ($4-billion) Hengqin Checkpoint and Comprehensive Transportation Hub will be accelerated, with 800 million yuan ($126 million) assigned by the province. By the end of 2021, 18.5-billion-yuan ($2.9-billion) worth of work had been completed, accounting for 70.96 percent of the total investment.

An annual 1.6 billion yuan ($251 million) will go to Macao New Neighborhood to advance construction of schools, teaching and research facilities, community houses, elderly and family comprehensive service centers, parks, and community sports venues.

Hengqin Checkpoint Phase II and the Lotus Bridge [Photo courtesy WeChat account: hengqinzaixian2021]

Work on roadbeds, bridges, and tunnels will continue for the Hengqin-Zhuhai (Jinwan) Airport section of the 22.8-km (14.2-mile) Zhuhai Airport Urban Rail Transit with annual investment of 1.3 billion yuan ($204 million).

Construction will also be facilitated for Hengqin Science City (Phase II). To be spent this year is 500 million yuan ($78.5 million) on office buildings, conference and exhibition centers, public transport stations and parking lots, underground parking spaces, and service facilities that include commercial areas, staff dormitories and canteens.

In addition, the province budgeted 2.3 billion yuan ($361 million) to enhance construction of Zhuhai Chimelong International Ocean Resort Phase II in Hengqin. This includes a Marine Science Museum, Big Hengqin Mt Sports Leisure Park, Shenjing Base, Chimelong Tourism College, and Rare Botanical Garden.

Meanwhile, development of Harrow Innovation Leadership Academy (ILA) Hengqin and other facilities will proceed at Hengqin Laisun Creative Culture City (Novotown) Phase II with 500 million yuan of annual investment.

The three preparatory projects are the 22.534-km (14-mile) Hezhou-Hengqin section of Guangzhou-Zhuhai (Macao) High-Speed Railway with estimated total investment of 12 billion yuan ($188 million); 3.2-billion-yuan ($502-million) Geehy semiconductor Hengqin base; and Macao-funded Wisewave integrated circuit project with 2.6 billion yuan ($408 million) of investment.

For this year, the province has assigned 1,570 key projects, with total investment of 7.67 trillion yuan ($1.2 trillion) and annual planned expenditure of 900 billion yuan ($141 billion). Among them are 1,152 preparatory projects with estimated total investment of 5.88 trillion yuan ($923 billion).