The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement yesterday that it is carrying out road optimisation work for pavements and carriageways in Nape.
Nape is the Portuguese acronym for Outer Harbour New Land Reclamation.
According to the statement, some surfaces of the area’s pavements are showing signs of cracks and damage owing to subsidence, while public complaints have been received about the road surface being slippery when it rains.
The bureau has launched optimisation work to reorganise a road section surface from Avenida Dr Sun Yat-Sen to Rua Cidade de Sintra “to improve the pedestrian environment and barrier-free facilities”, as well as to add green elements.
Reorganisation and facilitation of vehicle flow will also be carried out through the work in response to the Transport Bureau’s (DSAT) suggestion. The statement noted that “three straight traffic lanes will be set up in the originally bent carriageway and the positions of zebra-crossings will be adjusted”.
The Municipal Affairs Bureau and Transport Bureau have recently introduced the optimisation proposal to the Consultative Committee on Municipal Affairs, as well as the neighbourhood and business associations in Nape, the statement pointed out.
The statement added that six sections will be re-paved in phases, anti-slip porous tiles will be laid, barrier-free access ramps will be added, kerbs at zebra-crossings will be lowered, while “danger warning tiles” and guidance tiles for the visually impaired will be added. Arcaded and non-arcaded pavements will span a total width of six metres after the pavements’ reorganisation.
The statement underlined that the “green area of pavements” will be increased by over six times, expanding from 128 square metres to 860 square metres, while the green belt’s width will be increased from one metre to 2.5 metres.
The statement added that the number of plant species will also be increased from nine to 17, with various plants such as “Roystonea regia” and “Tabebuia chrysotricha” added. Most of the 123 existing trees will be preserved in their original positions or transplanted in the same area. The statement pointed out that 21 trees will be affected by construction works and will be transplanted and preserved in other places such as plant nurseries.
In order to minimise the impact on the public, the work will be carried out in phases, while the city’s various utilities have been told to coordinate their pipe- and cable-laying works to reduce the possibility of repeat excavations, according to the statement.
The work is slated to be completed by the fourth quarter. The statement said that temporary traffic measures will be imposed by the Transport Bureau, while members of the public are reminded to pay attention to the traffic conditions and follow on-site arrangements.
This artist’s rendition provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) shows the desired outcome of the ongoing road optimisation work and green areas in Nape.
