Driver Trett Digest Issue 21 03.2021 - Flipbook - Page 20
DIGEST | ISSUE 21
HZMB is the world’s longest sea crossing bridge. It took nine years to complete the
construction of the whole project and was originally set to finish by the end of 20162.
However, the HZMB officially opened to the public on 24 October 20183.
HZMB is designed to have a 120-year life span and it cost a staggering RMB126.9 Billion (approximately US$18.3 Billion).
It has a six-lane carriageway with three lanes each side.
HZMB significantly reduces the travel time between Hong Kong and Zhuhai:
GUANGZHOU - SHENZHEN HONG KONG EXPRESS RAIL
LINK (XRL)
Guangzhou - Shenzhen - Hong Kong
Express Rail Link (XRL) is an express
rail (total length of 140km) that
connects Hong Kong (West Kowloon)
to Guangzhou (Shibi) via Futian and
Longhua in Shenzhen and Humen in
Dongguan.
The Hong Kong section of the XRL is
a 26km underground rail-run from
the terminus in West Kowloon Station
(WKT) to the boundary at Huanggang7
(Figure 4). XRL is operated by the
MTR Corporation8 and train speeds
can reach 200km/h in the Hong Kong
section and up to a maximum of
350km/h in the Mainland section.
Fig. 2., extracted fromextracted from www.hzmb.gov.hk/en/info/sea%20crossing-EN.pdf
HZMB was an extremely complex project that faced numerous challenges and difficulties during construction. The steel bridge
deck at the main bridge (Figure 3) used a total of 420,000 tons of steel (the equivalent of 60 Eiffel Towers) and the bridge deck
area is 700,000-metres square (the equivalent of 98 football pitches)4. As the main bridge was constructed in open sea, most
of the bridge structures were precast and prefabricated off-site and delivered to site for erection using an integral erection
method5.
Another challenge was the
construction of the tunnel
works at the Hong Kong
link road section as the
box jacking operation was
executed underneath the
Airport Express Line (AEL).
This involved excavation
works and casting tunnel
box segments in a deep and
narrow shaft. The works
were completed with a high
degree of precision using
a computerised system to
synchronise the movements
of the hydraulic jacks6.
The construction work for the Hong
Kong section was divided into 20 major
civil contracts and awarded to 17
contractors9 due to the complexity of
the construction works.
However, this type of contract
arrangement involved a high degree of
interfacing and coordination between
the parties.
One of the major setbacks on this
project was the difficulty encountered
at the WKT and the cross-boundary
tunnelling works which were subject
to unexpected construction conditions
and a shortage of labour.
The mega link has been
described as a “blood and
sweat project” by many
people in the building sector.
Fig. 3., extracted from www.hzmb.gov.hk/en/info/sea%20crossing-EN.pdf
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The construction works commenced
in 2010 and were completed in 2018,
a three-year delay from the original
completion date (4 August 2015). The
official opening of the XRL to the public
was on 23 September 2018.
The completion of the XRL has
significantly reduced the travel time
between Hong Kong and major Chinese
cities. For example, it takes 14 minutes
from WKT to Futian (previously circa
100 minutes via numerous forms of
transportation). As of today, people can
easily travel to 58 Mainland Chinese
stations from Hong Kong10. Overall, the
Greater Bay Area development initiative
will benefit the Chinese economy and
boost internationalisation, both an
important part of the next stage in
China’s economic growth.
Fig. 4., extracted from www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou–Shenzhen–Hong_
Kong_Express_Rail_Link
So, to conclude with another well-known Chinese saying
.
‘It requires a joint effort to achieve anything worthwhile’.
https://www.bayarea.gov.hk/en/outline/plan.html
https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/11/173208/Bridge-toopen-in-one-go-despite-HK-delays
3. https://www.scmp.com/video/china/2169817/chinese-president-xi-jinpingdeclares-hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-bridge-open
4. https://www.hzmb.gov.hk/tc/project/main-bridge.html
5. https://www.hzmb.gov.hk/tc/project/main-bridge.html
6. https://www.hzmb.gov.hk/tc/project/hk-link-road.html
7. https://www.thb.gov.hk/eng/policy/transport/issues/cbt_4.htm
8. MTR Corporation Limited is a majority state-owned Hong Kong company
9. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201405/28/P201405280337.htm
10. https://www.highspeed.mtr.com.hk/en/about/hsr-intro.html
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