Bridge completion in sight for HK, Macao, Zhuhai

The final section of the underwater tunnel for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge is installed to its designated location on Tuesday. [Photo by Chen Jimin/China News Service]

Meanwhile, Macao and Hong Kong still have room for expansion and cooperation in tourism with the cities of western Guangdong province.

Zhongshan, the hometown of Sun Yat-sen, and Jiangmen, home to myriad overseas Chinese living around the world, are two major tourist destinations in Guangdong, he said.

"Furthermore, the operation of the bridge will encourage Guangdong to open wider to the outside world after the province further advances its cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao."

The 55-kilometer Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge includes a 6.7-kilometer underwater tunnel and a 22.9 km bridge above the water's surface, making it the longest cross-sea bridge in the world.

Construction of the Y-shaped bridge started in 2009 and will cost more than 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion). It is part of the country's planned national highway network linking the western and eastern banks of the Pearl River.

The service life of the bridge is expected to be more than 120 years.

Huang Zehui contributed to this story.