A vehicular tunnel connecting Cotai and Ka Ho (九澳) in Coloane came into use on Friday morning, which the government says can save around 10 minutes driving time between the two areas.
The tunnel connects Avenida do Aeroporto (機場大馬路) in east Cotai and Estrada de Nossa Senhora de Ká Hó (九澳聖母馬路), according to a statement by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) on Thursday.
The 500-metre-long tunnel has four vehicular lanes – two in each direction, with a speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour.
Pedestrians and bicycles are forbidden to use the tunnel, officially known as Ka Ho Tunnel. In addition, according to the statement, vehicles with a height of over five metres, vehicles transporting flammable and explosive substances, and those transporting other hazardous materials are also barred from using the tunnel, which opened at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.
The statement pointed out that before Ka Ho Tunnel opened, drivers could only travel between Taipa and Coloane through Cotai via Avenida Marginal Flor de Lótus (蓮花海濱大馬路) at the west end of Cotai or via Estrada do Istmo (路氹連貫公路) – informally known as Cotai Strip – in central Cotai. The statement said that Ka Ho Tunnel enables drivers to travel between east Cotai and Coloane, because of which the tunnel will help improve Taipa-Coloane traffic and divert vehicular flows from Avenida Marginal Flor de Lótus and Estrada do Istmo.
The statement noted that now vehicles can “directly” travel to Ka Ho, which is at the east of Coloane, from Avenida do Aeroporto in east Cotai “without the need to drive for a long distance” by using Estrada do Istmo and Estrada do Altinho de Ká Hó (九澳高頂馬路). The tunnel enables drivers to save around 10 minutes between east Cotai and Ka Ho, the statement noted, adding that the travelling time between Cotai and east Coloane has now been significantly shortened.
The government first announced its plan to build a tunnel under a hill in Ka Ho in 2009. The tunnel project was initially scheduled to be completed in 2017.
The project got off the ground in 2012, when construction of surrounding road networks started. The main part of the project, namely the tunnel hole-through, got off the ground in 2015, but it was hit by delays due to stricter regulations on transporting explosives from the mainland to Macau in the wake of the Tianjin catastrophe in August 2015.
This photo released by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) last week shows the flyover connecting Avenida do Aeroporto in east Cotai and Ka Ho Tunnel.
