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World's longest sea bridge opens as 34-mile, £14bn crossing is finished

The world’s longest sea-crossing bridge has opened in south-east China, stretching 34 miles and costing £14billion.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the sixth longest bridge on earth, opened to traffic nine years after building first began.

It consists of three cable-stayed bridges and one undersea tunnel, and is 14 miles longer than the most narrow width of the English Channel.

The bridge was originally meant to be opened in October 2016, but has been beset by delays following legal challenges and a number of injuries and even deaths to workers.

Further controversy surrounded its construction when a number of contractors were arrested for falsifying concrete safety test results.

However, the sprawling structure is now complete and is expected to be opened by Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 23.

The bridge will connect Hong Kong and Macau to Zhuhai as part of China’s plan for a ‘Greater Bay Area’ covering 56,000 sq km across 11 cities in south China.