Public Works Bureau (DSOP) officials reaffirmed yesterday that the ongoing project to build the fourth Macau-Taipa Bridge, which will connect the Zone A and Zone E1 land reclamation areas, is slated to be completed in the first quarter of 2024.
The officials made the remarks during a media tour yesterday that briefed reporters about the latest progress of the fourth Macau-Taipa bridge project and Zone A’s ongoing urban development.
The officials also said yesterday that the building consortium has so far completed around 40 percent of the fourth Macau-Taipa bridge project.
The fourth Macau-Taipa bridge project is being carried out by a joint venture consisting of three construction companies for a price tag of 5.27 billion patacas.
The building consortium consists of two state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and a local construction company – China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co. Ltd. and Omas Construction and Engineering Company Limited.
The DSOP officials noted yesterday that the local government commissioned the consortium in March 2020 to carry out the project.
The officials noted that the 3,085-metre-long bridge will have eight vehicular lanes – four in each direction. One lane in each direction will be for motorcycles only. In addition, pedestrians and cyclists will be prohibited from using the fourth Macau-Taipa Bridge, which is being built east of Friendship Bridge.
The officials also said that wind protection barriers will be installed to reduce the wind speed on the fourth Macau-Taipa Bridge, enabling it to remain open to traffic during Typhoon Signal No.8.
The officials noted that the fourth Macau-Taipa Bridge will have a spur connecting to the man-made island where the Macau and Zhuhai border checkpoints of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) are located – which is located east of the 138-hectare Zone A.
According to the officials, in the long term, on the Taipa side, the fourth Macau-Taipa Bridge will have a spur connecting to a future tunnel under Big Taipa Hill. However, the officials underlined that the government is still designing the Big Taipa Hill Tunnel project.
The government has not come up with a timetable as to when the Big Taipa Hill Tunnel project can get off the ground. The Big Taipa Hill Tunnel project has been on the drawing board for years.
Zone A is primarily developed for public housing projects, with only some plots earmarked for private residential projects. A raft of public housing projects are currently being carried out there.
Progress of public housing projects
Meanwhile, the DSOP officials also briefed reporters yesterday about the latest progress of public housing projects in Zone A.
According to the officials, government-subsidised home-ownership scheme (HOS) housing estates are being built on eight plots in Zone A, providing around 8,200 flats. In addition, the government is inviting bids for the construction of social rental housing estates on four plots in Zone A, providing around 4,000 flats.
Around 28,000 public housing units in total are slated to be built in Zone A. The majority of the public housing units in Zone A will be HOS flats, with the remaining being social rental housing units.
These two photos taken from the Zone A land reclamation area yesterday shows the ongoing construction of the fourth Macau-Taipa Bridge. – Photo courtesy of TDM
