The foundations of a key part of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge have shifted again, the Highways Dept has revealed.

As many as 22 steel cylinders installed to stabilise reclaimed land for the bridge landing zone have shifted more than three metres, according to the Oriental Daily.

The Highways Dept and the contracting company have consolidated the cylinders – accounting for more than a quarter of the total – but have been unable to fix the source of the movement.

It is the latest in a series of engineering issues at the project, including shifting foundations, the collapse of a seawall and the falsification of tests on the concrete used in the bridge. Accidents have killed six workers and injured dozens, putting the project back by a year, experts have said.

The continual shifting of the foundations of the reclamation have prompted concerns that the project will be further delayed.

The 55-km bridge, originally intended to open last year, is currently scheduled to open by the end of 2017.