A sea bridge connecting Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Zhuhai, China, has opened in the Pearl River Delta. The 42-kilometer bridge and underwater tunnel will significantly simplify and reduce the cost of travel between these cities, reports Travel.ru.
The bridge begins at Hong Kong Airport, where a new artificial island was built near the terminals, housing the Hong Kong border terminal. From there, the bridge extends past the airport into the bay and ends on another artificial island, where a 7-kilometer underwater section of the road begins. It emerges onto the surface on the next artificial island and continues as a bridge to the border between Macau and mainland China. There, drivers and bus passengers can choose to turn toward Macau or the mainland (Zhuhai). Traffic on the bridge drives on the right—three lanes in each direction—even though driving in Hong Kong and Macau themselves drives on the left.
Shuttle buses operate 24/7 along the new road across the bay. Buses operate every 5 minutes during peak hours, every 15-30 minutes at night, and every 10-15 minutes at other times. The fare is HK$65 (€7.20) during the day and HK$70 (€7.80) at night (midnight to 6:00 AM).
The Hong Kong Port Terminal (known as Hong Kong Port) is a 10-minute ride from Tung Chung MTR Station on buses B5 and B6, and a 5-minute ride from the airport on buses B4 and 901. The fare in both cases is HK$6 (€0.70). All overnight airport routes and most daytime routes (routes A11, A21, A22, A29, A31, A33X, A35, A36, and A41) also call at the Port Terminal. These routes can be taken from most parts of Hong Kong for approximately HK$20-40 (€2.20-4.40). The Macau Port Terminal is also served by city buses, with a fare of MOP6 (€0.60).
In addition, a number of ostensibly direct buses have been established between the centers of Hong Kong, Macau, and Zhuhai. However, passengers will still have to disembark at two border crossings for passport control, and the frequency of these routes is lower. Fares range from HK$120 to HK$220 (€13-€24).
Until now, direct connections between Hong Kong and Macau have consisted of frequent ferries (with fares starting at HK$170 (€20)) and helicopters (HK$4,300 (€477). The ferry service to Hong Kong Airport from Macau (allowing travelers to bypass Hong Kong border control and go straight to their plane) starts at HK$270 (€30). The addition of the bridge and direct buses will allow many tourists to significantly reduce their costs, eliminating the need to rely on ferry schedules and pier locations.
It's worth keeping in mind that bus schedules may be somewhat reduced in the first few weeks. Operators complain that authorities only informed them of the bridge's opening five days in advance, instead of the promised two months. As a result, bus companies haven't had time to prepare enough buses and drivers to operate a full schedule.
Source: travel.ru