World's longest sea bridge opens after 9 years of construction

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/china-opens-worlds-longest-sea-bridge-tunnel-connect/story?id=58681380

After almost a decade, the 34.2 mile bridge and tunnel connecting Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland Chinese city Zhuhai was revealed today. The bridge took longer than expected to build and cost around $20 billion. It is said that the bridge cut down the commuting time between the three cities from 4 hours to 45 minutes. Due to the tense relationship between the cities, this was the first major infrastructure project they all jointly worked on. The bridge will help Hong Kong and Macau become more integrated with mainland China. Even though this seems to be a great victory for the nation, not everyone will be able to use it; all vehicles allowed on the bridge will require permits from all three cities. The other downside of the bridge was the harm it caused to those building it; 10 workers died during the construction and 600 more were injured. With that, an environmentalist said the whole project has disrupted the habitat of Hong Kong’s endangered pink dolphin. Despite these issues, I think the bridge should help create a more cohesive relationship between the two autonomous cities and the rest of China.
By: Liz Metcalf