Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário said yesterday that the government is now aiming for the fourth Macau-Taipa bridge, Macau Bridge, to open in the next quarter.
Rosário made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the World Trade Centre Macau (WTCM) in Zape after presenting awards to winners who proposed the name – Macau Bridge, during the government’s naming campaign, chosen by the government last month as the bridge’s official name.
The government launched a campaign in December last year asking local residents to propose names for Macau’s fourth sea-crossing bridge connecting the Macau peninsula and Taipa island. A total of 5,703 residents, or 0.8 percent of the population, submitted their proposals during the campaign’s submission period which ran until January 15. A selection committee shortlisted five names in February from about 14,400 identical or different names submitted by the 5,703 proponents, before the government chose Macau Bridge as the bridge’s official name last month from the five shortlisted names: Macau Bridge, New City Bridge, Sea Mirror Bridge, Silver Jubilee Bridge, and Hou Kong Bridge.
Explanations about the five shortlisted names can be checked on: https://www.macaupostdaily.com/article21035.html
Ceremony
All those who proposed “Macau Bridge” entered a lucky draw last month, which chose the winner, the first runner-up, and the second runner-up, who were respectively awarded a cash prize of 10,000 patacas plus a souvenir, 8,000 patacas plus a souvenir, and 6,000 patacas plus a souvenir during a ceremony at the World Trade Centre Macau yesterday.
Rosário handed a symbolic cheque to the winner, the first runner-up, and the second runner-up respectively during yesterday’s ceremony.
Last month’s lucky draw also chose 50 others who proposed “Macau Bridge”, some of whom attended yesterday’s ceremony to receive their souvenir. Public Works Bureau (DSOP) Director Lam Wai Hou presented them with their souvenirs.
Those who were unable to attend yesterday’s ceremony can go to the bureau’s office to receive their souvenir, on the ninth floor of Nam Kwong Building on Avenida do Dr Rodrigo Rodrigues in Zape.
Over 90 pct completed
Delivering a speech during yesterday’s ceremony, Lam noted that after four years of construction, the bridge’s main structure was completed last month when its entire section was fully connected. He said that constructors are now intensively setting up the bridge’s various auxiliary facilities, adding that the government is now aiming to fully complete the bridge before the end of the current quarter as over 90 percent of the project has now been completed.
Lam pointed out that the four road-networks connected to the bridge on both the peninsula and Taipa sides have all been completed, adding that “this has created the necessary conditions” for the bridge to be able to open in the second half of this year.
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Rosário said that the Macau Bridge project can be fully completed at the end of June at the earliest, because of which, he said, the government was now aiming to open the bridge in the next quarter.
When asked by reporters about the bridge’s specific opening schedule, the policy secretary said that for the time being the government does not have the bridge’s specific opening date. “It can open in July, August or September,” he said.
Macau Bridge connects the Zone A and Zone E1 land reclamation areas, which are both new urban areas, neither of which has any inhabitants yet.
Linking up with checkpoints
In his speech during the ceremony, Lam noted that Macau Bridge, which lands in Zone A at its south-eastern waterfront, will become an important link between the peninsula and Taipa island. In addition to enabling vehicles to directly reach the Taipa Ferry Terminal and its adjacent airport, Lam said, the bridge will also link up with the Macau checkpoint of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), which is located on the man-made island east of Zone A.
Lam noted that Macau Bridge will have eight vehicular lanes – four in each direction, with one lane in each direction for motorcycles only.
Macau Bridge will alleviate traffic pressure from the city’s current three sea-crossing bridges connecting the peninsula and Taipa island, Lam said.
Lam noted that the bridge is 3,085 metres long, adding that the total road length of the bridge plus all its spurs and respective road networks on both sides will amount to 10.6 kilometres, which is around three percent of Macau’s current total road length.
Reason for choosing ‘Macau Bridge’
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, Rosário also elaborated on the government’s reason for choosing “Macau Bridge” as the fourth Macau-Taipa bridge’s official name. He said that this bridge has now become the first bridge that ferry passengers will see when they are arriving in Macau.
Also talking to the media, Lam said that this bridge, as the “main gate” to Macau at its east side, will become a new landmark, because of which, he said, the government’s decision to name this bridge “Macau Bridge” makes it “representative of Macau”.
Public Works Bureau (DSOP) Director Lam Wai Hou delivers a speech during yesterday’s ceremony at the World Trade Centre Macau presenting awards to winners who proposed “Macau Bridge” as the fourth Macau-Taipa bridge’s official name. – Photo: Tony Wong
