Inside Asian Gaming

May 2016 inside asian gaming 7 centers, by contrast, should be more sustained. Zhuhai, for example, has lagged behind Shenzhen and Hong Kong historically, in line with the slower growth of the Pearl Delta’s quieter western bank. With the bridge, demand from the bustling eastern side should pull up Zhuhai, which will in turn lift up Zhongshan and Jiangmen to the north and west. HMZB will not be the longest bridge in the world. That record HMZB will not be the longest bridge in the world. That record goes to the Beijing to Shanghai high-speed railway’s Danyang- Kunshan Grand Bridge, which is 164.8 km long. And at 42.5 km, the world’s longest sea bridge spans northern China’s Jiaozhou Bay. But the Pearl Delta link will contain the world’s longest immersed tube tunnel. goes to the Beijing to Shanghai high-speed railway’s Danyang- Kunshan Grand Bridge, which is 164.8 km long. And at 42.5 km, the world’s longest sea bridge spans northern China’s Jiaozhou Bay. But the Pearl Delta link will contain the world’s longest immersed tube tunnel. This will be 6.7 kilometers long, allowing the largest container ships to pass. It will be made from 200 meter prefabricated sections, lowered onto the seabed between two artificial islands at HMZB’s eastern end. From the tunnel’s western end (see map), the link will head across the water to Zhuhai, traversing 29.6 km of six-lane, low-slung causeway, punctuated by three large cable-stayed bridges to allow the passage of marine traffic. The bridge will end at a 216 hectare island of reclaimed land just east of the Macau peninsula, known as the Zhuhai/Macau Boundary Crossing Facilities. China on its own is building this main section (sea bridge plus tunnel). Out of an estimated total cost of CNY 37.45 billion (US$5.78 billion), CNY 7 billion will be stumped up by the mainland government. Hong Kong will pay CNY 6.75 billion and CNY 1.7 billion will come from Macau. The remaining CNY 22 billion, or 59% of the cost, will take the form of a loan from the Bank of China. Hong Kong will end up spending much more than this, however. The infrastructure connecting it to the main section (meaning work inside Hong Kong’s maritime boundary which falls at the eastern end of the undersea tunnel) will be built by Hong Kong at a cost to itself An early plan of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, showing Boundary Crossing Facilities at each end. Cover Story