Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

E30 tube en route to installation [Photo by Wang Rong / Nanfang Plus]

The final immersed tube, E30, of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) was installed on March 7 after 26 hours of being undocked, floated, and sunk, leaving only 12 m for full completion of the subsea tunnel . 

Tugboat leads 12 others to install E30 tube. [Photo by Wang Rong and Guan Mingrong / Nanfang Plus]

E30 is the fourth immersed tunnel west of the East Artificial Island. Chen Weibin, a senior engineer of CCCC (China Communications Construction Co) Fourth Harbor Engineering Co, said E30 is 171 m long, as opposed to 180-m standard ones. The remainder is reserved for the final joint, which departed Nantong in Jiangsu Province on Feb 27 and arrived at Guishan Island in Zhuhai on March 7.

E30 about to submerge at 3:10 am on March 7 [Photo by Guan Mingrong / Nanfang Plus]

The HZMB will be fully connected in April when the final joint has been sunk for installation and after concrete casting and other procedures have been completed, Chen revealed.