[smallmind]

In this bridge example, not only did it cost $19 billion to build, but the tolls collected actually do not cover operating costs. Doubt their 20 year plan included having to dump more money into the bridge to just keep it working. There are a lot of Youtube videos about China's similar problems with their large high speed rail network.

[Closi]

To OPs point though, the goal wasn’t to pull a profit it was to build links between the two countries.

[whimsicalism]

Hong Kong isn't a separate country

[Aperocky]

you can say the same about most of China's vast highway network. When they were newly built, most of these didn't have the traffic needed.

Now a few of them are constantly congested.