Tunnel is final link in bridge project

Construction of the 2.74 kilometer Gongbei tunnel was completed on Monday in the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone, the final link that should enable the 50 km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge project to open before year's end. Zhi Yufeng, chairman of Guangdong Nanyue Transportation Investment and Construction Co, said the Gongbei tunnel is a major component of the gigantic bridge, linking the three regions, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Chen Guanghan, vice-dean of the Research Institute of the Development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, said the bridge will help Hong Kong further expand its economy when it works with the vast western part of the Pearl River Delta region in Guangdong after traffic begins to flow. "The bridge will help accelerate the development of Hong Kong's international airport and its ports and the development of region's Lantou Island area," Chen said.