Chief engineer of mega bridge honored

Among his many achievements, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the world's longest cross-sea bridge, will be what engineer Su Quanke may be remembered for the most.

The chief engineer behind the megaproject was among 81 individuals bestowed the title of National Outstanding Engineer at a ceremony held in Beijing in January, the highest honor in the field of engineering and technology in China.

Currently chief engineer and professor of practice at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Su, who has over 30 years of experience working on some of China's top engineering infrastructure projects, has witnessed the great pace at which the nation has developed.

"When I was at university in the 1980s, engineers wanted to build bridges and roads, but there was a lack of supporting equipment, materials, technology and workers," he said.

"Now the country's construction capabilities have developed, providing the foundation for engineers like us to make achievements such as the HZMB."

Su said that the nation's development has offered him and his peers a key platform to succeed.

The 55-kilometer-long, cross-sea bridge connecting Hong Kong, Macao and Zhuhai, Guangdong province, which Su was chief engineer from 2004 to 2022, has been hailed as a marvel in the history of Chinese architecture.

The megastructure has had an impact on similar projects around the globe.