The sixth longest bridge in the world, and the world's longest sea-crossing bridge, is set to open in southeast China on Wednesday.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge stretches across 34 miles and, as its name suggests, bridges the cities of Hong Kong and Macau to the mainland city of Zhuhai. It includes a 14.2-mile overseas bridge and a 4.2-mile underwater tunnel in the middle, which are connected by two artificial islands. Construction began back in 2009 and it cost around $20 billion to build. It can supposedly withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake and a super typhoon, and is projected to last for 120 years.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Transport and Housing says the bridge will cut travel time significantly between the two regions, which should boost business and tourism. For instance, what used to be a four-hour commute between Zhuhai to Hong Kong International Airport will now take around 45 minutes.
Although the bridge is an engineering marvel, it has its fair share of criticism. Environmentalists say the bridge could lead to the demise of the Chinese white dolphin, which is an endangered species. Several workers have also died while working on the bridge's construction, and hundreds more were injured.
An opening ceremony will be held Tuesday, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend. The bridge will officially open to the public Wednesday, but car owners will not be allowed to drive on the bridge without a special permit. Instead, most will have to take shuttle buses to cross.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
