Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) Director Chan Pou Ha said yesterday that the ongoing repairs to the damage to the flyover in Areia Preta district where a fire engine overturned on Tuesday will not cost the government much.
The fire engine, which overturned on Tuesday evening, was up righted by three large crane vehicles on Tuesday night, after which a firefighter drove it back to the fire station in Areia Preta district. Afterwards, the flyover’s traffic resumed in the wee hours of yesterday.
Chan made the remarks while speaking to reporters after chairing a regular meeting of the Urban Planning Council (CPU) – a government-appointed consultative body tasked with advising the government on its urban planning policies.
Chan said that after the accident, DSSOPT engineers examined the flyover and confirmed that its structure has not been affected, because of which, she said, the flyover can reopen to traffic.
The overturned fire engine damaged certain parts and facilities at the entrance of the flyover, such as fences and noise barriers.
Chan said that the accident has just caused very minor damage to the flyover.
“The damage is very small. The flyover’s structure does not have any problem…The repair fees will only be very limited,” Chan said.
A fire engine with a 68-metre-long ladder overturned when it was entering the single-way flyover on Tuesday evening, which runs from Avenida de Venceslau de Morais (慕拉士大馬路) to Estrada da Bela Vista (新雅馬路). The entrance of the flyover is located outside the Macao Daily News Building.
The fire engine’s driver and four other firemen in the vehicle were not injured, nor did the incident cause any injuries to other motorists or pedestrians. However, a seven-seater people carrier was scratched by falling debris when it was travelling under the flyover but no-one in the vehicle was injured.
Retirement
Meanwhile, Chan, who will retire on Friday next week, told reporters yesterday that she wants to do many things after her retirement, such as enjoying a family life, adding that she would have wanted to travel around the world if there had been no COVID-19 pandemic.
Chan became the director of the bureau on January 15, 2020, meaning that she will have been the bureau’s director for two years when she retires.
Chan was a deputy director of the bureau from February 2009 to February 2015.
Workers repair the flyover outside the Macao Daily News Building in Avenida de Venceslau de Morais yesterday afternoon. Photo: Simon Wang
