Underwater construction based on innovation, attention to detail

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, scheduled to open on Wednesday, has changed the appearance of the Pearl River Estuary. However, one of the most talked about aspects of the bridge is hidden below the waterline.

The bridge involves a 6.7-kilometer immersed tunnel, the longest in the world for road traffic and the first offshore structure of its kind in China. It has been described as the most difficult part of the construction of the bridge, which, at a total length of 55 kilometers, is the world's longest sea-spanning structure.

Throughout the construction process, the international community questioned how Chinese engineers could manage such a huge project.

However, during more than a decade working on the project, Lin Ming, chief tunnel engineer, never doubted his team's ability.

"China's civil engineering sector should never be satisfied with quantity or scale. It must earn global respect through devotion to perfection in every detail," he told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

Lin, who is also chief engineer at China Communications Construction Co, joined the project in late 2005. Following a feasibility study, the relevant government departments decided that the HZMB had to include an immersed tunnel, and placed overall responsibility in Lin's hands.