Zhao Zhanhui, People’s Daily
The new Hengqin Port in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong province, is expected to be available for operation by Dec.20, 2019.Relevant executives disclosed the news on Dec.11 when the construction project of the new Hengqin Port and an integrated transportation hub was first introduced to the press.
Zhuhai city and the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) will jointly decide the official opening date of the new port after relevant approvals and legal procedures are completed.
The customs inspection building and the transportation platform on the south and north side of the building cover an area of 450,000 square meters, which is equivalent to the combined area of 63 soccer fields, according to Li Qizhi, project manager of China Construction Second Engineering Bureau Ltd., general construction contractor of the project.
It is expected that the daily crossings at the Hengqin Port will reach up to 222,000 once the new port begins operation and the new port is capable of handling 80 million passenger trips in a year, said Li, adding that the new port will make travel and exchanges between Zhuhai and Macao more convenient.
The new Hengqin Port will adopt a new customs clearance mode featuring joint inspection and one-stop clearance, disclosed Li, explaining that the new mode will enable passengers to pass the customs simply by getting through the joint inspection at three turnstiles.
The first turnstile is for the inspection of traffic permit information, the second turnstile is for verification of fingerprint and facial recognition, and the third turnstile is for information verification by the Macao side, according to Li.
Sufficient self-service channels will also help enhance the convenience of passing the customs. “Passing the customs through self-service channels can help people get to Macao from Zhuhai in one minute if everything is handled smoothly,” said Wang Yan, deputy director of the reform and development bureau of the management committee of Hengqin New Area.
Besides the functions of a port, the new Hengqin Port and the integrated transportation hub, which cover an area of about 1.31 million square meters and involve various kinds of infrastructure construction tasks, also serve as an integrated distribution hub and a city services provider.
The construction of the project includes a variety of smaller projects and diversified jobs, such as the construction of the customs joint inspection building, U-type ramp of the overpass, municipal roads, underground utility tunnels and the reconstruction of the Lotus Bridge.
Hengqin Island in Zhuhai faces Macao SAR across the river, with the closest distance between the two sides being less than 200 meters. The island is located 34 nautical miles from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The Zhuhai section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge extends directly to Hengqin Island, making the area by far the only pilot free trade zone connecting Chinese mainland with Hong Kong and Macao by both road and bridge.
Because of its distinctive geographical position, the development of Hengqin also has significant influence on that of Hong Kong and Macao. It is believed that the new Hengqin Port will serve well the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
新横琴口岸即将正式通关，一分钟内从珠海直通澳门！
人民日报记者 赵展慧
12月11日，横琴口岸及综合交通枢纽开发工程首次对媒体开放。预计本月20日，新横琴口岸旅检通道将完全具备通关条件。待相关政策批复落地和有关法律程序完成，珠澳将共同确定正式通关时间。
据施工总承包承建该项目的中国建筑第二工程局项目经理李奇志介绍，新横琴口岸联检通关大楼及南北侧交通平台总建筑面积达45万平方米，相当于63个足球场。其设计日通关流量达22.2万人次，年通关量达8000万人次，两地往来将更快捷。
据悉，新横琴口岸将采用“合作查验、一次放行”的新通关模式。李奇志介绍，新通关模式只需经过闸机的3道门完成合作查验，就能一次放行：第一道门检测的是港澳通行证信息，第二道门核对指纹并进行人脸识别，第三道门则是澳门方的信息核对系统。
充足的自助通道也极大助力了便捷通关。“经合作自助通道过关，顺利的话，一分钟内就能从珠海到澳门。” 横琴新区管委会发改局副局长王彦说。
不仅具备口岸功能，横琴口岸及综合交通枢纽开发工程还承担着综合交通枢纽集散功能和城市服务功能，总建筑面积约131万平方米，堪称基建“大合集”。现场施工复杂化、多元化，除去联检通关大楼，还包括高架桥U型匝道、市政道路、莲花大桥改造及地下综合管廊等。
隶属广东珠海的横琴岛与澳门隔河相望，最近处不到200米，距离香港34海里。港珠澳大桥珠海连接线直接延伸至横琴，横琴成为目前内地唯一与香港、澳门同时路桥相连的自贸试验区。因为这一特殊的地理位置，横琴发展牵动港澳。相信新横琴口岸也将为粤港澳大湾区的发展打开更加便捷的通道。
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