China is opening the world's longest sea bridge - and it contains enough steel to build 60 Eiffel Towers

Called the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the project is expected to cut travel time in half.

Commuters will be able to travel across the Pearl River Estuary from Macau to Hong Kong in about an hour.

Source: AFP

Here's a map of the route:

The bridge features six lanes and four tunnels, one of which is underwater.

China also built four artificial islands to support the structure.

Touted as an "engineering wonder," the bridge is made of 420,000 tons of steel — enough to build 60 Eiffel Towers.

Some sections have slight inclines.

Around 40,000 vehicles are expected to use the bridge daily, including shuttle buses running at 10-minute intervals.

Pedestrians will not be able to walk or ride their bikes along the bridge, which will be designated just for cars.

Officials say the bridge will be up and running for 120 years.

The exact price of the project is unclear, but local outlets report that its construction cost somewhere around $15 billion.

The project has faced some controversy due to its expensive price tag, construction delays, alleged corruption, and worker safety concerns. During construction, two workers died, and 19 more were charged with faking concrete test reports.

Source: Hong Kong Free Press

Construction lasted seven years. The 2012 photo below shows artificial islands China built for the bridge near Lantau Island in Hong Kong.

China is already home to (now, the second) longest sea bridge, which spans 26.3 miles. Completed in 2011, the $1.5 billion structure links the eastern coastal city of Qingdao to the suburb of Huangdao.

Source: NPR

The new bridge is one of two big transportation projects that will open in the region this year. By 2019, China's high-speed rail system is set to grow by 2,180 miles.

Source: The Telegraph