Hong Kong, China, 4 Aug – The governments of the province of Guangdong and the Special Administrative Regions of Macau and Hong Kong announced the creation of an authority to manage the construction of the Hong Kong-Zuhai-Macau bridge, which they expect to start operating this month.

The project was discussed during the 15th joint cooperation conference between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau held Tuesday in Hong Kong.

The bridge, which will be 50 kilometres long, will be the biggest marine structure ever built and will link Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau.

The work is estimated to cost 73 billion yuan (US$10.8 billion), which will be funded by the three governments.

Work on the bridge began in December 2009 and is due to be finished in 2016.

Meanwhile, the three sides involved in the project are due soon to publish the conclusion of the cooperation plan for creation of a “quality of life zone.”

The plan aims to boost cooperation in terms of environmental and ecological protection and also covers development of policies in terms of planning of spaces, staff exchange, transport, education and food safety, amongst others.

The three sides will also join forces to boost the competitiveness of the Pearl River Delta region. (macauhub)