The government underlined yesterday that it has decided to build a sea-crossing flyover, instead of an undersea tunnel, connecting the Zone A land reclamation area and Nape after considering various factors such as construction costs and difficulties, the impacts of the respective construction projects on nearby existing facilities, and the extent to which a flyover or an undersea tunnel will be able to improve traffic conditions.
Initially, the government planned to build an undersea tunnel for the future link between Zone A and Nape, before finally deciding to build a sea-crossing flyover instead.
Yesterday’s announcement was jointly made by four public entities in a statement, namely Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU), Public Works Bureau (DSOP), Transport Bureau (DSAT), and Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC).
DSOP officials are currently assessing construction bids submitted for the flyover project, known as AB Link, which is now expected to get off the ground in the next quarter.
The 1,550-metre-long vehicular overpass will run from near the Kun Iam Statue on the Nape waterfront to the roundabout outside the Macau Science Centre (MSC), from where it will cross the sea running under the Macau-Taipa Friendship Bridge and finally landing in Zone A.
Including all its spurs and surrounding road networks on both the Nape and Zone A sides, the AB Link will be 3.2 kilometres long in total.
According to the DSOP website, the top of the flyover will be 25.8 metres above sea level.
Some civic leaders and heritage activists have said that the height of the flyover project would exceed the official height limit covered by an area surrounding Guia Lighthouse on the top of Guia Hill.
The Public Works Bureau and the Culture Affairs Bureau have said that the AB flyover is not defined as a building because of which it is not subject to the official height limit aiming to protect the view of Guia Lighthouse.
Yesterday’s statement said that the construction of an undersea tunnel for the AB Link would require the demolition of the current Kun Iam Statue Waterfront Leisure Area located between the Macau Science Centre and the Kun Iam Statue.
The statement said that if an undersea tunnel would be built, its entrances and exits on the Nape side could only be set up near the Kun Iam Statue, making the future vehicular connection between Nape and Zone A less effective.
The statement also said that “everyone knows that” the construction of an undersea tunnel would be much more expensive than a sea-crossing flyover. In addition, the construction difficulty of the former would also be greater than the latter, the statement said.
This file photo taken late last year shows the area near the Macau Science Centre (MSC) in Nape where the future AB Link from Zone A will land. – Photo: Tony Wong
