The new Hengqin Checkpoint on East Huandao Road has recorded cross-border passenger volume of over 14 million since its inception on Aug 18, 2020, facilitating integrated development of Hengqin and Macao.

This is an increase of 6.7 percent year-on-year. In all, 1.96 million vehicles have been inspected, including 1.2 million Macao single-plate vehicles, up 13.3 percent and 230 percent respectively year-on-year.

Designed with a maximum daily passenger flow of 222,000, the new checkpoint boosts advanced connectivity in infrastructure, systems, investment, trade, personnel flow, and customs clearance. A “Joint Inspection & One-time Release” mode enables travelers to queue up and have documents examined only once while cutting average customs clearance time at self-service channels to 30 seconds.

Self-service inbound and outbound inspection channels along with infrared temperature measuring equipment, passenger inspection CT machines, and intelligent sorting line have significantly reduced commuting time for office workers and cross-border students.

Hengqin Checkpoint [File photo by Wang Hong]

With floorage of 1.31 million sqm (324 acres), Hengqin Checkpoint is a hub complex that connects rail transit, public transport, and pedestrian transport systems in Zhuhai and Macao. Multiple bus routes leading to downtown Zhuhai have stops at Hengqin Checkpoint, while long-distance buses of the in-house passenger terminal reach major and medium cities throughout Guangdong Province.

In addition, Zhuhai Airport Urban Rail Transit Phase I now connects the checkpoint to Zhuhai Railway Station. By 2025, the Macao Light Rail Transit Extension will be extended to Hengqin Checkpoint and provide convenient connection with Zhuhai Airport Urban Rail Transit, according to the Overall Road Transport Plan of Macao (2021-30).

A 9,300-sqm (2.3-acre) parking lot will also allow motorists taking the checkpoint to use it as a stopover.

The checkpoint project has initiatively applied the technology of ultra-large and complex underground engineering in coastal deep and unconsolidated silt layers and become a benchmark in the Greater Bay Area for innovative engineering breakthroughs.

As stated in the Overall Development Plan for Construction of the Cooperation Zone, a line-division management model for cross-border goods and personnel will be implemented to build a new system of high-level opening up integrated with Macao.

The checkpoint is considered a core section of the "first-line" (Hengqin Island-Macao) in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Construction of its second phase is also expedited and the main structure is 90 percent completed.

Work is underway for the pavement structure and check posts of vehicle inspection channels. Upon operation, it will take the lead in the country to adopt a “Joint One-Stop Inspection” model. Inbound ramps of the Lotus Bridge have also had main structure construction completed on cast-in-place box girders, according to Wei Xiaoqiang, director of the Hengqin Checkpoint and comprehensive transportation hub project.

Customs clearance capacity and environment will be improved as the number of vehicle inspection channels are to be increased from 11 to 30 by the end of this year, said Li Ziwei, acting director of the Cooperation Zone Economic Development Bureau.

Next, the full opening of Macao vehicles to enter/exit the Cooperation Zone will be promoted to facilitate the work and life of Macao residents.

According to the Hengqin Frontier Inspection Station, Hengqin-Macao integration is being pushed forward. The new Hengqin Checkpoint has tallied 14 million crossings since its opening in August 2020, Border-crossings by Hong Kong and Macao residents have also grown 51.2 percent to 4.19 million during the past two years from the previous 2.77 million in 2018 to 2020.