An aerial drone photo taken on June 27, 2024 shows the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link in south China's Guangdong Province.

The Nansha branch line of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is set to officially open to traffic in October, according to local media reports on Saturday.

The travel time between Nansha of Guangzhou, and Shenzhen will be shortened from two hours to around 20 minutes, said Liu Wei, head of Nansha district, during a recent government-business communication event in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province.

The new line of Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor will not only help boost connectivity between Guangzhou and Shenzhen but also solidify Nansha's strategic role as a central hub in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), Liu said.

So far, the asphalt paving for the Nansha link has been completed, with the construction of interchange ramps nearing 85 percent.

Additionally, the Nansha Station is about to break ground, aiming to become one of the largest transportation hubs in the region, so as to serve 80 million people and connect over 800,000 businesses within a one-hour drive.

Transportation development has been key to the coordinated growth of the GBA. A "one-hour traffic circle" has now come into being among Guangzhou, Shenzhen and some other cities in Guangdong, said the official.

Since its opening, the corridor has seen consistently high traffic volumes, becoming a vital route for both land and maritime transport.

Experts noted that the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor is strategically important for promoting the integrated development of the region, enhancing connectivity between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and driving economic and industrial growth.

According to data released by China's Ministry of Transport, nearly 60,000 vessels have departed from the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Bridge Corridor since it opened to traffic in the late June.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays from September 15 to 17, the highest single-day passenger flow via the bridge reached 105,000, according to media reports. 

Global Times