Longest sea crossing bridge cost $20 billion

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China have officially opened to public the world’s longest sea crossing bridge, at length pf 55km (34 miles). The project to build the bridge, that runs from Hong Kong to mainland China cost an incredible $20bn (£15.3bn) from start to finish. In order to cross the bridge, private drivers will have to gain a special permit just to drive over it, all other traffic will be required to pay a toll upon entrance. What’s even more astonishing about the bridge is that drivers will have to drive on the opposite side of the road (keep left) as that is common driving side in Hong Kong. Authorities estimate that the bridge will see around 10,000 vehicles a day to begin with, and special cameras will monitor driver performance in order to make sure the bridge remains safe. They’ll be particularly on the look out for drivers that may appear tired or unsettled. Travelling between mainland China and Hong Kong would previously take up to four hours, however with this new bridge, that expected travel time has been sliced to just 30 minutes. Here is a gallery of photos of China’s new longest sea crossing bridge, before, after and during construction.

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