Engineering marvel to smooth flow of traffic, wealth across Pearl River Delta

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is expected to even out economic disparity in the Pearl River Delta, boost the region's global competitiveness and make commuters' lives much easier, experts said.

The long-awaited 24-kilometer link, built with an estimated cost of 44.69 billion yuan ($6.38 billion), opened to traffic on June 30 after seven years of construction, establishing a vital transportation connection across the Pearl River region.

The infrastructure marvel, which features two bridges, two artificial islands and an undersea tunnel, triumphed over numerous technical challenges during its construction and set multiple engineering records.

The eight-lane expressway in Guangdong province, which is designed for a traffic speed of 100 km per hour, starts at Shenzhen airport interchange and crosses the Pearl River estuary to connect with Ma'an Island in Zhongshan.

It joins the city clusters of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou in the eastern part of the Pearl River Delta to the cities of Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing in the western part, strengthening connectivity of people, businesses, manufacturing and infrastructure in the Greater Bay Area.

Balancing growth

The link shortens the travel times between the cities, and has significantly altered the regional landscape, said Wei Jianzhang, vice-president of the Belt and Road Initiative's International Cooperation and Development Research Institute in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

"It accelerates the region's development by facilitating economic coordination, efficient transportation, cultural exchanges, and social integration. This infrastructure serves as a bridge transforming the Greater Bay Area's global competitiveness," he said.

The project also greatly benefits several cities on the western bank of the Pearl River and will help promote co-construction of industrial and innovation systems, Wei said.

"In terms of residents, both sides can enjoy high-quality living standards. Shenzhen residents can purchase more comfortable housing in Zhongshan at lower prices, while Zhongshan residents can easily access cultural activities in Shenzhen, such as top class performances," he said.

Liu Daizong, the East Asia director at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy based in Beijing, sees the link as a catalyst to promote regional integration and growth, and eventually, coordinated development of the GBA.

"Enhancing transportation connectivity is the first step toward promoting regional integration," he said.

Liu divides the GBA into three areas: Zhongshan, Zhuhai, and Macao on the western bank of the Pearl River; Hong Kong and Shenzhen on the eastern bank; and Guangzhou on the northern bank.

The link provides excellent development opportunities for the economically less-developed cities on the western bank, allowing them to engage in direct business with Shenzhen and other cities, he said.

"This infrastructure opens up possibilities for strategic interactions among the three regions, which represents a form of benign competition. Overall, it will promote the coordinated development of the Greater Bay Area," he said.

Wei said the development of the region relies on various elements such as labor, capital, technology, information, data, and land. Cities on the western bank can benefit from these key elements being combined in new ways to boost efficiency and output.

This will improve wages, profitability, and returns, and ultimately drive economic growth and improve the region's global competitiveness, Wei said.

"The link not only accelerates the flow of these elements and opportunities, but also fosters economic coordination, efficient transportation, cultural exchanges, and social integration in the region," he said.