China's Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel, a major national infrastructure project, officially began trial operation on Sunday. Spanning approximately 24 kilometers, this cross-sea cluster project is set to significantly reduce travel time between Shenzhen and Zhongshan, from two hours to just 30 minutes.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel is a world-class engineering marvel, integrating bridges, islands, tunnels, and underwater interconnections. It has set 10 world records and stands as one of the most challenging cross-sea cluster projects globally. The two-way eight-lane expressway accommodates a design speed of 100 kilometers per hour and boasts a projected service life of 100 years.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge is particularly noteworthy, featuring a main tower of 270 meters—equivalent to a 90-story building—making it the world's tallest sea bridge. From the bridge deck to the sea level, there is a 91-meter clearance, about the height of a 30-story building, designed to accommodate the world's largest container ships.

From an aerial perspective, the west artificial island and the bridge connected resemble a stringed-kite on the sea. The island marks the entrance to a 6.8-kilometer-long submarine tunnel, which is the world's first and widest eight-lane submarine immersed tube tunnel in both directions. The tunnel connects to the east artificial island, home to the world's first underwater interchange on a highway.

With the opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel, the daily traffic volume is expected to reach 100,000 vehicles. The development will enhance the connectivity between the major urban economic circles of Shenzhen, Dongguan and Huizhou on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary, and Zhuhai, Zhongshan, and Jiangmen on the west bank.

As a result, the cross-river and cross-sea channel network in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is gradually taking shape, fostering closer ties between the world-class urban agglomerations within the region.