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.

Once in operation, the bridge will help shorten the current four-hour drive from Hong Kong to Zhuhai to a half-hour.