The Lotus Flower Bridge, the second land passage connecting the Macao Special Administrative Region and inland areas of China, opened to traffic Tuesday morning.
When the construction of the bridge was completed, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on December 10 last year, just 10 days before Macao's return to the motherland. The six-lane bridge, 1, 780 meters long and 30 meters wide, connects the reclaimed land from sea between the Coloane and Taipa islands of Macao with the Hengqin Island of Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province. The border checking stations on both ends of the bridge were put into operation in the meantime.
The bridge is expected to ease the pressure of Macao's Barrier Gate, which used to be the only land passage to China's inland areas via the Gongbei Port of Zhuhai.
Considering the fact that vehicles run along the left side of the road in Macao while those in Zhuhai run along the right side, a bridge approach helps vehicles change driving lanes when they pass through the main bridge.
The Lotus Flower Bridge, the second land passage connecting the Macao Special Administrative Region and inland areas of China, opened to traffic Tuesday morning.