Why Hong Kong needs fewer bridges to nowhere and more escalators, lifts and footbridges

Richard Harris says the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge compares badly to smaller projects like the Mid-Levels escalator that has proved to be both cost-effective and useful

The city is difficult to navigate and needs more infrastructure that will serve its ageing population

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An aerial view of a section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on October 22. Touted as the world’s longest sea bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland, the project cost Hong Kong HK$120 billion. Photo: AFP

Published: 11:03am, 25 Oct 2018Updated: 10:40pm, 25 Oct 2018

One day, they may call it the Marathon Bridge – its 42km-long expressway would be perfect for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Marathon in 2024.

The building of the magnificent Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge was marred by falsified safety tests and collapsing sea wall protection – and that’s what we know about. For all that, it is truly a spectacular engineering marvel to be proud of, an ambitious project almost entirely built across the sea. It should be – it cost enough.

The global media is quoting the cost of the bridge at US$20 billion (HK$160 billion) but we have no idea if this is accurate, as the Chinese government has not released the total cost. We do know that Hong Kong has put a whopping HK$120 billion into the project – eight times more than originally expected.

If Hong Kong’s share of the cost is 75 per cent, we have a right to be cross, for the bridge has little economic merit. It is impossible for a bridge to encourage development alongside, so it must develop the hinterlands at each end. This bridge serves three centres but two of them are already highly developed and too crowded to allow any more traffic. It will still be quicker to get from Sheung Wan to Macau by Jetfoil.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge, due to open in 2024 further down the Pearl River, is much more cost-effective. It connects two large areas of rapid development at a quarter of the cost. When open, it will eat the lunch of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, making it redundant – except for regular marathons.

Watch: What you need to know about the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge

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