President Xi Jinping on Sunday welcomed the opening of a road link that spans the Pearl River Delta and connects Shenzhen with Zhongshan, saying that it helps to promote market integration in the Greater Bay Area.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan link, which opened on Sunday afternoon, is expected to cut the journey time between the two cities to 30 minutes from two hours.

However, traffic jams at both ends of the link marred the first day of operation, and some people complained the journey took much longer than expected.

President Xi said it's necessary to ensure the link is safe and smooth, and that it will help integrate the eastern and western sides of the Pearl River Delta.

Timothy Chui, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, said he expects it to be a popular tourist spot.

"One out of two enquiries have been asking about the Shenzhen-Zhongshan link for single-day or multi-day tour groups. Customers hope to go to Zhongshan, Shunde or Gudou and spend three days there," he said.

A man travelling to Zhongshan from Kwun Tong by tour bus said he now expects the journey to be more convenient.

"When I travelled to Zhongshan from Kwun Tong before, I had to go via Shenzhen Bay and Humen. It took me five-and-a-half hours. I want to see whether taking the link will cut my journey time," he said.

A restaurant manager in Zhongshan said he expects business to increase after the opening of the transport link.

"Hong Kong tour groups contribute to half of our sales for group dining. After the opening of the link, many travel agencies, which didn't previously partner with us, also came to our restaurant to have a look at the environment and the food," he said.

The link is 24 kilometres in length and consists of two bridges, two artificial islands, and a two-way, eight-lane tunnel.

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Last updated: 2024-07-01 HKT 05:15