The 36km bridge connecting Hong Kong and Macau with the city of Zhuhai in mainland China is one of the most ambitious engineering projects ever undertaken, at least 15 years in the making, and coming in at a cost of nearly $20bn.

The megaproject, scheduled to open to road traffic in the next few months, was designed by the Chinese government to bind the former European colonies of Hong Kong and Macau much closer to the motherland, physically, economically and spiritually.

“This is a vital strategic project to further deepen China’s reform programme and improve the country’s economic growth,” says Yu Lie, the deputy director of the bridge authority, as he explains the many technical hurdles that his engineering team have faced.