It has two decks and carries both road and rail traffic, which also makes it the largest suspension bridge of this type.

The Anglo Japanese Construction Joint Venture, comprising Costain, Mitsui, and Trafalgar House, won the job.

The main span segments were built by Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company in the U.K. and by Mitsui in Japan.

[8] The climbing cranes used to erect the tower portals were coincidentally also used on the HSBC Main Building a decade earlier, as well as at Canary Wharf in the interim.

The Lantau Link, of which the bridge is an integral part, was inaugurated on 27 April 1997 by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

[11] Thatcher, Chief Secretary Anson Chan, and Governor Chris Patten then switched on the bridge lights and drove across the span with other dignitaries.

The celebration concluded with a 20-minute firework and laser show, featuring fire pouring from the length of the bridge, engineered by the Pyromagic Productions company.

[16] Snaking queues also formed at bus stations at 7:00 am as passengers sought to view the new infrastructure as well as the North Lantau New Town, which was still under construction.

The control area's traffic management system was developed by Delcan Corporation of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Before, the fee of using Tsing Ma bridge for motorcycles, private cars, public double-decker buses and heavy goods vehicles are HK$10, $15, $30 and $40 respectively, charged both directions.

[20] The normal speed limit on the bridge is 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph), subject to lowering in the event of road work or strong wind.

[22] The bridge was redesigned beginning in 1989 to account for the three lane dual highway and the heavier airport railway.

The model tests identified critical stages of erection that allowed the construction schedule of the bridge to be tailored to avoid the typhoon season.

The comparison of model test results and the full scale monitoring will assist engineers to better understand the behaviour of long span bridges in wind and to improve current design methods.

The pulling force in the main suspension cables is taken up by large gravity anchorages located at both ends of the bridge.

[24] They are massive concrete structures deeply seated on bedrock on the landside of Tsing Yi and Ma Wan island.

The approach span on the Tsing Yi side is similar in form and cross-section to the suspended deck, but is supported on piers instead by cables.

An expansion joint which allowed for a maximum thermal movement of ± 835 millimetres (32.9 in) was also provided and located inside the approach span.

The bridge parapets are of a special design by Hong Kong standards, comprising high-tension steel strands anchored on metal posts.

[25] The rock seawalls around the base of each bridge tower are capable of halting a 220,000 tonne ship moving at eight knots.