The new sitting-out area along the south-side waterfront of Patane North Bay opened on Friday after the completion of its construction.
Patane North Bay, a bay off Fai Chi Kei and Ilha Verde, is known as Fai Chi Kei North Bay in Cantonese.
A statement by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) last week said that the ongoing rainwater pumping station project next to the new waterfront sitting-out area is now slated to be completed in the next quarter, after which it could come into operation.
The government launched a project in 2023 to build the rainwater pumping station on the south-side waterfront of Patane North Bay as well as underground box culverts in the vicinity. The project also included the construction of the new waterfront sitting-out area.
After the completion of the setting-up of the box culverts, the construction of the new waterfront sitting-out area was also completed earlier this year after which it came into use on Friday.
The sitting-out area, with a total area of 2,166 square metres, features various facilities such as fitness equipment, viewing platforms and children’s “interactive” areas.
As seen by the Post yesterday, due to the still ongoing construction of the rainwater pumping station, the new waterfront sitting-out area is still not connected to the existing sitting-out area along the bay’s east-side waterfront.
The road running along the bay’s south-side waterfront is known as Rua do Comandante João Belo (俾若翰街/筷子基北街).
The underground box culverts have been set up along a section of Rua do Comandante João Belo, as well as along the entire section of the adjacent Rua da Doca Seca (船澳街).
With the completion of the setting-up of the box culverts, the government has also set up traffic lights at two junctions on Rua da Doca Seca, one with the waterfront Rua do Comandante João Belo and the other with Rua da Bacia Sul (海灣南街), both of which came into operation also on Friday.
A statement by the Transport Bureau (DSAT) yesterday underlined that the bureau is constantly adjusting the signal timing of the traffic lights at the two junctions in line with the developing situation with the aim of improving vehicular flows in the area while making it easier for pedestrians to cross the roads there.
A boy sits in the new sitting-out area along the south-side waterfront of Patane North Bay yesterday, with the adjacent rainwater pumping station project (left) still underway.
Pedestrians cross Rua da Doca Seca at its junction with the waterfront Rua do Comandante João Belo yesterday where traffic lights came into use on Friday. – Photos: Tony Wong
