Buildings near completion on HZM Bridge islands

The five-level building (three stories aboveground) on the west artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) will have its roof sealed by the end of July, while the six-level building (four aboveground) on the east island will be topped off by the end of August.

The main structure of the west Island will provide offices, canteens, and staff quarters for administrative staff. The east one will be a sightseeing island integrating business and exhibitions, in addition to connecting the bridge with the immersed tunnel. Moreover, both main buildings are above the buried tunnel sections.

Auxiliary buildings on both islands include overtopping pump houses, sewage treatment stations, fire pools, and light shields.

Main building on HZMB new island

Construction of the west island wall revetment commenced on May 15, 2011, when the world's first steel cylinder with very large diameter (22 m), ultra-deep installation (31 m underwater) and oversized volume was smoothly vibrated into place. Two 100,000-sq-m islands emerged on Dec 7, 2011 supported by 120 steel cylinders. The achievement marked a milestone in the Chinese bridge-building history for creating two new islands within a year. 

According to Huang Weimin, vice-general manager of the island-tunnel project headquarters of China Communications Construction Co Ltd (CCCC), creation of such deep-sea islands takes more than three years using traditional technologies. Rather, it took only seven months to complete, having saved time and minimized impact on marine environment.

A main building under construction [Photos by Zhong Fan / Zhuhai Daily]