The spatial impacts model of trans-strait fixed links: A case study of the Pearl River Delta, China

The mage trans-strait fixed links are constructed in different countries to promote regional economic and social development. This paper proposes a spatial impacts model for the trans-strait fixed links in the Pearl River Delta, China. To verify the rationality of the model, four quantitative indicators, including weighted average travel time, the economic linkage intensity, the economic linkage membership grade, and the fractal index are used to investigate the effect by construction of Humen Bridge, Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge and Shenzhen–Zhongshan Bridge. The results show that the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge and Shenzhen–Zhongshan Bridge greatly improve the regional accessibility with a maximum decrease weighted average travel time of 1.38 h and 0.4 h. The central part of the Delta has greatest impacts. The links increase the economic linkage of cities of each side. The cities directly connected to the fixed links (Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Macao and Zhongshan) experience the highest increasing economic linkage. The regional spatial pattern evolves from unipolarity to multi-polarity and integrates a more advanced and sophisticated spatial network. The theoretical spatial impacts model for the trans-strait fixed links accords with the actual development in the Pearl River Delta.