A new economy-building bridge that would cross the wide mouth of the Huangmao River, which separates Zhuhai and Jiangmen cities, has recently passed a feasibility review.

The Huangmao Sea Channel bridge would synchronize development between the Gaolan Port Economic, Hengqin Free Trade, and Jiangmen Greater Guanghai Bay Economic zones. But first, it must undergo flood-prevention assessment, land-use pretrial considerations, and site selection, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Transport announced on Jan 23.

If approved and constructed, it would shorten the distance from the Gaolan Port Economic Zone to Guanghai Bay by up to 30 km (19 miles).

The proposed cross-sea channel would also connect by highways to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao (HZM) Bridge in the east, and merge into the Guangdong West Coast Expressway to access Kaiping, Taishan, Enping, Yangchun, and other areas farther to the west.

Huangmao Sea Channel from Guanghai Bay at left of blue line to Gaolan Port at right of the line [Photo courtesy Southern Metropolis Daily] 

It would also link to the Humen and Huangpu bridges, and 2nd Humen and Shenzhen-Zhongshan bridges that are now under construction, and the proposed Lianhua Mt Channel to form a Greater Bay Area cross-river transport network.

A government official says the bridge would expand the influence of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to the west while propelling the agglomeration of advanced-equipment manufacturing on the west bank of the Pearl River Delta.