On Feb. 19, construction of an estimated 5,481-meter-long tunnel neared completion following the installation of a sinking pipeline. The tunnel, part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, will be connected to the bridge once the last 183 meters are finished, according to the contractor, China Communications Construction Company Limited (CMCC), on Feb. 19. 

At nearly 55 kilometers in length, including an underwater tunnel and a bridge over the sea, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge links Zhuhai in southern China’s economic hub of Guangdong with Hong Kong and Macau. The infrastructure project will expedite trips between these regions.

Connected by 33 pipelines, the tunnel is the deepest and only deeply immersed tube tunnel in the world. A curve and non-standard pipe joint, the E-29 sinking pipeline, has been installed near the westernmost end of the bridge. It is 171.2 meters in length and is broken into eight segments.

With installation of the pipeline finished, construction of the bridge has entered its final phase, according to reports.