Why the bridge is being built has a lot to do with the economic activity in the megalopolis called the Pearl River Delta, one of China’s fastest growing regions. The delta is home to over 56 million people, spread out across urban centres including Hong Kong, Macau, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Dongguan.

Yet the transport links between Hong Kong and the western reaches of the Delta have long been regarded as weak.

Since there are no roads that directly connect Zhuhai and Macau with Hong Kong, cars have no choice but to take a long detour via the Humen Bridge located further up north – a 200km journey that takes four hours.

As a result, to reduce transportation cost and time, the governments of Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong decided to build a highway over the Pearl River estuary now known as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.