Year
2018Duration
6 yearsCost
HK$60.9 billionLocation
ChinaProject achievements
Economy boosted
Supporting the area's economic development by reducing transport costs and time
Used engineering skill
Used the box jacking method to build tunnels under the Airport Express Line
Connected communities
Created a one-hour living circle in the Pearl River Delta region
The longest bridge-cum-tunnel sea crossing in the world
The 55km-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) is the first cross-boundary land link connecting Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao.
The HZMB Hong Kong Section makes up the construction of the Hong Kong Link Road (HKLR) and the Hong Kong Port (HKP).
The HKLR is a 12km dual three-lane carriageway connecting the main bridge and the port. It's made up of land and marine viaducts about 9.4km in length, a 1km tunnel and a 1.6km road section.
Hong Kong Port is located on a piece of reclaimed land of 150 hectares, at the waters off the north-east of the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
There’s a passenger clearance building (PCB), vehicle clearance plazas (VCPs) and public transport interchanges (PTI) at the HKP.
The HZMB connects three places, reducing the distance and travel time between them.
This has created a one-hour living circle in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, which has boosted the Greater Bay Area’s economic development and enhanced Hong Kong’s position as a hub.
"HZMB creates a close-knit, better designed integrated transport system which will enhance the lives of residents and travellers, ensuring that with greater prosperity comes a greater capacity to care for nascent communities in the region and for the environment which supports them.”
Sean Harris, ICE deputy director general and director of membership, commenting on HZMB following its win at the ICE People's Choice Awards 2019.
Did you know …
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The HZMB is the longest bridge-cum-tunnel sea crossing in the world.
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The PCB roof is formed by 45 large-scale prefabricated modules. The area of the largest roof module is approximately 60m x 25m with a weight of approximately 670 tonnes, which is larger than a standard Olympic-size swimming pool.
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Using non-dredge reclamation on the project helped preserve marine ecology, particularly the habitat of Chinese white dolphins.
Difference that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) has made
The HZMB is of strategic importance to the economic development of Hong Kong, Macao and the Western Pearl River Delta (PRD) region.
Travelling time between Zhuhai on the western bank of PRD, and Kwai Chung Container Port and the airport on the other side has been reduced by more than 60% and 80%, respectively.
It also means that the Western PRD will fall within a reachable three-hour commuting radius of Hong Kong.
The bridge also boosts Hong Kong’s tourism, finance and commerce industries.
In particular, it enhances the region’s position as a trade and logistics hub, as it makes better use of the airport and container port in Hong Kong.
Different types of plants were used to provide greenery and colour in different patterns covering over 30% of the Hong Kong Port.
As well as emphasising the green landscape, the project contributed to sustainable development via creative engineering design.
This included an independent sewage treatment system, a district cooling system, eco-friendly building design, non-dredge reclamation method, and more.
How the work was done
Challenging iconic design with an innovative construction method
With a wavy roof designed to simulate undulating waves, the passenger clearance building (PCB) is an iconic building standing at the HKP, next to the airport.
To tackle the challenge of airport height restrictions, the PCB's roof was built by using the prefabricated modules assembly method.
The large-scale prefabricated modules were lifted up one by one, pushed into position horizontally and connected together.
The method advanced the construction progress, enhanced the quality of works and reduced the risk of working at height.
The roof modules were composed not only of the structural steel frame but also the pre-installed building services, as well as architectural builder works and finishes.
Thus, this method also saved onsite construction time.
Environmental innovative reclamation technology
Non-dredge reclamation greatly cut the amount of dredging and dumping of marine mud by about 22 million m3. It reduced the use of approximately half of the backfilling material.
This led to a lower impact on water quality and less marine construction traffic during the building stage.
This helped to preserve marine ecology, especially the habitat of the Chinese white dolphins.
Long-span viaducts
The HKLR viaduct section features long spans as the carriageway crosses two navigation channels and Sha Lo Wan Headland, a designated site of archaeological interest where no construction works were allowed.
A massive, bespoke straddle carrier was used to construct the long-span viaduct of 180m in length.
At the time it was erected, it was the longest, dual three-lane, prestressed, precast concrete bridge span in Hong Kong.
The design minimised the visual and environmental impact and has also become a feature of the area, complementing the natural scenery of North Lantau.
Innovative methods adopted
The HKLR viaduct, mainly situated at open waters, is the first bridge in Hong Kong to adopt the prestressed precast pier construction method and precast concrete pile cap shells.
This minimised underwater works, ensuring a safer working environment and removing tidal constraints.
Floating concrete batching plant was introduced, which was the first use of such facilities in Hong Kong. It significantly reduced the logistics and ensured the best quality of concrete produced.
The construction of two separate tunnel tubes of the HKLR to cross under the existing Airport Express Line (AEL) was one of the most challenging works for the HZMB.
As the AEL is an important railway link between Hong Kong International Airport and the central business district, the normal and safe operation of the AEL had to be maintained at all times.
To ensure undisrupted operation of AEL during the tunnelling works, box jacking was adopted – the first time it was used at such scale in Hong Kong.
It involved pushing the constructed tunnel box segments forward by hydraulic jacks one after the other in a 'caterpillar' motion.
It used a design jacking force of 19,400 tonnes – enough to lift 70 empty Airbus A380s in one go.
People who made it happen
- Highways Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government
