Cross-bay bridge undergoing final exams prior to opening

An acceptance report with required certifications is to be submitted in mid-December ensuring 120-year service for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and that all design standards are met.

Xiong Jinhai, deputy head of engineering of the bridge Management Bureau, reported that lighting and load testing were in the final stage on Nov 14 and that the bridge should open by New Year's Eve.

The $15 billion project is expected to resist a Magnitude 8 earthquake and typhoon of up to Gale Force 16. That standard applies to the main bridge; boundary crossing facilities of Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao; and link roads between cities.

Visual examinations and physical tests have been conducted on steel-box girders, stayed cables, cable bent towers, and other critical components. The assessment of girder bearing capacity took 20 days of static and dynamic loading trials.

The series of tests has resulted in an original comprehensive data model that is needed for maintenance or to correct deviations, the engineer said.

The high standards were set to guarantee long and safe use of the world's longest sea bridge by the public and freight transporters. The Pearl River Delta is one of the most economically developed areas in China.

Transit test on main bridge [Photo by Zhong Fan / Zhuhai Daily]

Meanwhile, bridge-section landscape illumination is also nearing completion on the final main tower supporting the Qingzhou Channel Overpass.

The night illumination system has functional and decorative lighting, according to Cai Junfu, an engineer at the China Railway Construction Electrification Bureau and transportation engineering project head for the bridge.

Lights strung up along the entire bridge will sparkle and undulate like a pearl necklace. Meanwhile, three navigable span bridges and two islands constructed in the middle of the sea will be illuminated to resemble a pair of round jade stones. As Cai put it, the design concept borrows the Chinese philosophy of bringing a string of perfectly matched pearls and pieces of jade together to form an artistic whole.

Debugging of a color-changing two-mode LED lighting system on the Jiuzhou and Jianghai channel overpasses has also been completed. The system is capable of colorful lighting during holidays and festivals to be integrated with stunning surrounding night views. Otherwise, white will be the dominant light.

Various transportation subsystems are also progressing in an orderly manner. The traffic lamp system was commissioned on Nov 15 when a 110 kV bridge-dedicated transformer substation came into service. 

Lighting tested at night [Photo by Yu Xin / Zhuhai Daily]