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Transportation

An Impressive, Unnecessary, Multi-City Bridge

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is little more than propaganda announcing the unity of China and her former colonies, despite their very different historic, legal, and even transportation backgrounds.
The 34-mile bridge is $1.5 billion over budget and two years behind schedule. Part of this may be due to the complexity of the project, which includes a main 18-mile sea bridge and a 4-mile underwater sea tunnel with artificial island entrances.
The 34-mile bridge is $1.5 billion over budget and two years behind schedule. Part of this may be due to the complexity of the project, which includes a main 18-mile sea bridge and a 4-mile underwater sea tunnel with artificial island entrances.Wikimedia Commons/Siyuwj
By
Erin Hale

At the Hong Kong Science Museum, a large display of 3-D scale models, information panels, and photos near its entrance shows off one of the city’s latest projects: the *24-mile Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, which is set to become the world’s longest sea bridge when it opens later this year.

Despite this architectural achievement, the display area is mostly empty. The occasional adult can be seen reading information panels about how the bridge was built and new construction techniques. Kids, meanwhile, flit through the display, pressing some of the buttons and light switches before they get distracted by something else.