The temporary closure of a key access link to the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge is set to disrupt cross boundary travel just as the Lunar New Year rush hits its peak. From midnight on February 15, 2026, the temporary link bridge that connects the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port to Qinglu South Road will be shut to all traffic, forcing private cars, coaches and freight vehicles onto a longer expressway detour. With millions of mainland and Hong Kong residents on the move for the holiday, travelers should brace for delays, congestion and last minute reroutes as authorities race to keep one of the Greater Bay Area’s most important corridors operating safely.
What Exactly Is Closing and When
The closure affects the temporary link bridge between the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port and Qinglu South Road, a vital connector that feeds traffic directly into Zhuhai’s urban road network. According to notices from authorities in Zhuhai and Hong Kong, the link will close from 00:00 on February 15, 2026, and remain shut until further notice while repairs and safety works are carried out. Both pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be prohibited.
Importantly for travelers, this is not a shutdown of the main sea crossing that runs between Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao. The core Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge structure and the cross boundary ports in Hong Kong and Macao remain open. The bottleneck instead sits on the Zhuhai side of the system, where the damaged link bridge has been deemed unsafe to carry the surging holiday traffic that typically engulfs the region during the Chinese New Year Golden Week.
Officials have stressed that the move is a precautionary safety measure triggered by concerns over structural corrosion and wear identified on the temporary link. While the bridge spur has long been earmarked as an interim solution pending more permanent highway connections, its abrupt removal from service days before the Lunar New Year period has caught many cross boundary travelers and operators off guard. The result is an urgent and complex rerouting exercise, with knock on effects across bus schedules, private car bookings and logistics chains connecting the Hong Kong airport and port with factories and resorts in western Guangdong and Macao.
Reroutes via G94: What Travelers Should Expect
With the Zhuhai link bridge closed, all traffic heading to or leaving the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port must now use the G94 Pearl River Delta Ring Expressway. The detour adds distance and complexity to journeys that once followed a relatively direct urban route into Zhuhai’s core. Drivers will exit the port and loop onto the expressway network, sharing lanes with heavy holiday traffic moving between key Greater Bay Area cities.
For private motorists, this means both longer driving times and a steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with the ring road’s interchanges and signage. Authorities are urging drivers to pay close attention to diversion markings and to allow generous buffers for congestion, toll booths and merging zones. Those traveling under the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles scheme, which allows Hong Kong private cars limited self drive access into Guangdong, have been explicitly warned that their carefully timed booking slots could be compromised by unexpected delays around the Zhuhai Port approaches.
Coach and shuttle bus passengers will not escape the impact. The high frequency “Gold Bus” shuttle that shuttles travelers between Hong Kong Port, Zhuhai and Macao is expected to take longer to complete each run once it is forced onto the G94 detour. Even with operators pledging to bolster services to absorb the surge, each extra minute spent in traffic translates into longer queues at departure halls, tighter transfer windows for airport bound travelers and more crowded waiting areas at both ends of the crossing. Those aiming to make same day connections to flights, high speed rail or ferries should reassess itineraries and consider earlier departures.
Holiday Rush Meets Infrastructure Strain
The timing of the closure could hardly be more challenging. The Chinese New Year Golden Week, running from February 15 to 23 in 2026, is traditionally one of the busiest travel periods on the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge. Families fan out across the region to visit relatives, tourists flock to Macao’s casinos and resorts and Hong Kong residents increasingly use the bridge for self drive getaways into Guangdong’s coastal cities.
In recent years, the expansion of cross boundary travel schemes and visa facilitation has only amplified volumes. Authorities in both Hong Kong and Zhuhai had already been preparing for record flows across the bridge system, deploying special police traffic arrangements, crowd control measures and enhanced public transport schedules for the Lunar New Year. The sudden loss of a core access link now adds a new layer of risk, threatening to turn the bridge approaches into chokepoints at precisely the time when patience is thinnest and roads are fullest.
Transport planners warn that congestion is likely to radiate beyond the immediate vicinity of the Zhuhai Port. Gridlock at the access roads can back up onto the main bridge carriageways, slowing traffic over the sea section and affecting flows towards both Hong Kong and Macao. Inside Hong Kong, knock on effects may surface around the Hong Kong Port, especially at peak departure times when private cars, cross boundary coaches, goods vehicles and shuttle buses simultaneously queue for outbound processing. The city’s police and Transport Department have responded by reminding the public to favor buses, rail and other mass transit options whenever possible during the holiday period.
Official Response: Warnings, Coordination and Real Time Monitoring
Hong Kong’s interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, has moved to reassure the public that contingency planning is underway. The group, which coordinates Lunar New Year crowd and traffic management across multiple departments, issued a special appeal on February 13 urging travelers headed to Zhuhai via the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge to plan early, check conditions and allow ample time for the border crossing.
The Transport Department is operating its Emergency Transport Co ordination Centre around the clock over the Golden Week, with a mandate to keep close watch on traffic conditions at the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge ports and along feeder roads. Officials say they are in constant contact with Zhuhai authorities to adjust signal timings, lane allocations and enforcement deployments to ease bottlenecks as they emerge. Cross boundary shuttle operators have been instructed to increase frequencies, extend operating hours where possible and keep passengers informed about disruptions.
Despite these efforts, the message from officials is clear: some level of inconvenience is unavoidable. Both local residents and visitors are being asked to remain patient if congestion builds and to comply with directions from police and on site staff. Those traveling with children or elderly family members are advised to factor in rest breaks and to carry sufficient water and snacks in case journeys take longer than scheduled. In an era of increasingly unpredictable weather and infrastructure stress across the region, the current episode is a reminder that even marquee mega projects are vulnerable to sudden operational constraints.
Impact on Different Types of Travelers
For Hong Kong holidaymakers planning self drive trips into Guangdong under the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles scheme, the closure comes as a particularly unwelcome surprise. The scheme requires motorists to secure advance booking slots for specific days and times, aligning entry and exit windows with limited daily quotas. A significant slowdown at the Zhuhai Port could push some drivers beyond their allocated slots, leading to missed reservations, penalties or forced changes of plan. Authorities have already contacted applicants with upcoming bookings to highlight the potential for disruption and to encourage flexible scheduling.
Cross boundary coach passengers face their own headaches. Many tour operators sell tightly timed packages that combine bridge transfers with check ins at Macao hotels, theme parks or sightseeing tours in Zhuhai and nearby cities. As buses divert to the G94 ring road and battle heavier than usual congestion, itineraries may need to be compressed or rearranged on the fly. Travelers should keep in close contact with tour representatives, monitor operator advisories and be prepared for late arrivals or last minute route adjustments. Those who have built complicated onward travel chains on the mainland side may wish to add insurance and alternative backup options.
Business travelers and freight operators, who rely on the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge for rapid access between Hong Kong’s container terminals, airport and the industrial hub of western Guangdong, also face costlier and less predictable journeys. Longer truck detours translate into higher fuel bills, overtime for drivers and tighter delivery margins for time sensitive cargo, from fresh food to high value electronics. While major logistics firms often have contingency corridors via other Pearl River crossings, these are themselves under strain during the New Year peak, making delays all but inevitable.
Practical Advice: How to Minimize Disruption
For travelers who still intend to cross via the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge during the holiday, a few practical steps can help ease the pain. First, build significant time cushions into any itinerary that involves the Zhuhai Port, especially if you have to catch a flight, cruise, long distance train or important appointment after crossing. Where a one hour buffer might once have sufficed, two or even three hours could now be advisable, given the combination of structural detours and Lunar New Year crowds.
Second, consider shifting to public transport where feasible. Shuttle buses and cross boundary coaches benefit from priority in some lanes and can reduce the stress of unfamiliar detours or confusing signage. Many operators have committed to adding extra departures and extending service hours across the peak period, and it is often easier for a large fleet to absorb delays than for individual drivers navigating on their own. Those already holding private car bookings may wish to weigh the convenience of door to door travel against the potential time savings and predictability of bus or rail alternatives.
Third, stay informed in real time. Authorities in Hong Kong have pointed travelers to official channels that offer live snapshots of traffic and clearance conditions at the Zhuhai Port. While such resources cater primarily to Chinese speakers, they can still provide useful indications of whether queues are swelling or easing. Travelers should also keep an eye on local news outlets and the social media feeds of transport agencies and major tour and bus operators, which often post alerts and workarounds faster than formal press releases can be issued.
Alternative Routes and Destinations to Consider
For those not wedded to the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge, this year’s disruption may be an opportunity to rethink routes altogether. Travelers bound for Macao might explore high speed ferries from Hong Kong Island or the airport, which provide a direct maritime link that bypasses Zhuhai’s road congestion entirely. While ferry slots can be tight around the Lunar New Year, off peak departures sometimes remain available even when prime hours sell out weeks in advance.
Visitors intent on exploring Guangdong’s other cities could pivot to alternative border crossings farther east or north, using high speed rail links and intercity coach networks instead of the western road corridor. Hong Kong’s rail stations on the Guangzhou Shenzhen Hong Kong Express Rail Link, as well as its traditional land boundary control points, will also be busy during the holiday, but they are not directly affected by the Zhuhai access bridge closure. Flexible travelers might even choose to split their journey, entering Guangdong via one route and returning through another to spread risk and avoid predictable crunch points.
Equally, some visitors and locals may simply opt to stay within Hong Kong or Macao this year, swapping cross boundary road trips for city based festivals, fireworks, hiking or beach escapes that do not involve the embattled link. For hotels, restaurants and attractions on the Hong Kong side, the disruption could bring an unexpected boost, as potential outbound visitors decide to keep their spending closer to home. For many travelers, the trade off between ambitious multi city itineraries and a more relaxed, localized break may tilt in favor of the latter when faced with the specter of long queues and last minute reroutes across the bridge.
Looking Ahead: Lessons for the Greater Bay Area Traveler
The Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge was conceived as a landmark conduit that would shrink travel times across the western Pearl River estuary and knit together the economies of Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong’s coastal cities. In ordinary times it has largely fulfilled that promise, enabling everything from daily business commutes and school runs to weekend tourism and cross boundary shopping trips. Yet the current disruption on the Zhuhai side underscores the extent to which even the most ambitious infrastructure remains vulnerable to local weak points, maintenance needs and the pressures of ever rising demand.
For travelers, one clear lesson is the importance of redundancy and flexibility. Depending on a single route or mode of transport in a region as dynamic and heavily trafficked as the Greater Bay Area is increasingly risky, particularly during major holidays when small incidents can cascade into large scale gridlock. Building contingency options into trip planning, investing in travel insurance that covers delays and thinking in terms of networks rather than individual links can all help reduce the stress when unforeseen closures strike.
In the medium term, authorities in both Hong Kong and Zhuhai are likely to face renewed scrutiny over how they maintain and upgrade connectors around the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge, as well as how quickly they can communicate and coordinate cross border responses when problems arise. For now, however, the focus for travelers is immediate and practical. With the temporary Zhuhai link bridge closed from February 15 and no firm reopening timetable yet announced, anyone planning to cross the estuary via the Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge during this Lunar New Year period should expect delays, stay flexible and, above all, plan ahead.