The Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) has won the hearts of the general public as the world’s greatest civil engineering achievement of 2019, winning the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) People’s Choice Award.

The annual competition recognises civil engineering projects that have made a positive impact on their local communities, with the final winner decided by a global public vote.

The longest combined bridge and tunnel sea crossing in the world, the 55km-long bridge connects Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao, reducing the distance and travel time between the three cities. It has created a one-hour ‘living circle’ in the Pearl River Delta region, boosting the Greater Bay Area’s economic development and enhancing Hong Kong’s position as a hub.

The Hong Kong section of the project involved the construction of the Hong Kong Port and the Hong Kong Link Road, which connects the port with the main bridge. 

Seán Harris, ICE director of membership, said: “Visible from space, this is a true mega-project and one which has rightly been voted as the winner of the People's Choice Award 2019. Civil engineering is about making society both safer and fairer for all who live, work and socialise there. The HZMB seeks to join communities together in a homogenous and integrated fashion. In line with the People's Choice Award criteria, HZMB creates a close-knit, better designed integrated transport system which will enhance the lives of residents and travellers, ensuring that with greater prosperity comes a greater capacity to care for nascent communities in the region and for the environment which supports them.”

Chris K.P. Wong, project manager / major works (special duties) of the highways department of the government of the Hong Kong special administrative region, said: “The uniqueness of this infrastructure lies not only in the engineering feats, but also in bringing the three cities, including Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao, much closer and thus enhancing the prosperity and economic development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. We are honoured that the mega project has won this prestigious award. It recognises the culmination of hard endeavour and unyielding steadfastness of all those who have contributed to achieving this engineering wonder.”

The Hong Kong project was chosen as the people’s favourite from a shortlist of 10 projects from around the world, which included The Shed arts centre in New York City, the Colwyn Bay Waterfront in Wales, and a children’s surgery facility in Leeds, England.