New cross-sea link brings opportunities to western GD

Vehicles make their way across the newly opened Huangmaohai Sea-Crossing Passage. Xinhua

Jiangmen city, located on the western side of the Pearl River and known as the capital of returned overseas Chinese, is seizing historic opportunities with the opening of the Huangmaohai Sea-crossing Passage. A key infrastructure project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the passage officially opened at 3 p.m. yesterday.

The opening of the link is expected to promote further integration of cities on both sides of the Pearl River and boost the development of cities in western Guangdong Province. 

The 31-kilometer-long passage, which starts in Pingsha Town, Zhuhai, and ends in Doushan Town, Jiangmen, is the western extension of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. It will cut the travel time from Zhuhai to Jiangmen to 30 minutes from one hour.

A six-lane highway with a speed limit of 100 kilometers per hour, the 12.9 billion yuan (US$1.77 billion) Huangmaohai Passage has a projected lifespan of 100 years.

The Huangmaohai service area provides a rest stop along the sea-crossing passage. Courtesy of Guangdong Provincial Transport Department

During the initial phase of operations, there will be no toll fees for public access, according to the Guangdong Provincial Transport Department. Details about the toll fees will be disclosed later.

Jiangmen serves as a pivotal transportation hub, linking the cities of the Pearl River Delta with western Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. The city is renowned for Diaolou — multi-story structures that blend Chinese and Western architectural styles, designed for both defensive and residential purposes. Jiangmen is also known for its hot spring resorts in Enping, which attract many visitors.