Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) Director Chan Pou Ha said yesterday that the government will continue with its ongoing study of the possible construction of the fifth Macau-Taipa link – an undersea tunnel next to the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge (commonly known as Old Bridge), despite the possible cancellation of its Zone D land reclamation project.
Chan made the remarks while speaking to reporters after chairing a regular meeting of the Urban Planning Council (CPU), a government-appointed consultative body tasked with advising the government on its urban planning policies.
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário revealed last week that the local government planned to cancel its Zone D land reclamation project, and instead was planning to reclaim land in the waters between the north-eastern coast of the peninsula and the Zone A land reclamation area for the setting-up of a large green area so that residents living in the peninsula’s densely populated north-eastern neighbourhoods and future residents living in Zone A could enjoy it in the future. The policy secretary said that the local government had requested the central government’s permission for the newly proposed reclamation project in exchange for axing the Zone D reclamation project.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng underlined that his government was still studying its plan to reclaim land between the peninsula’s north-eastern coast and Zone A instead of pushing ahead with the Zone D reclamation project and, consequently, the matter had not yet been decided. Ho reaffirmed that the reclamation swap would have to be authorised by the central government first.
In November 2018, the local government commissioned CCCC Highway Consultants Company Limited – a subsidiary fully owned by China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC) – to carry out the initial design and engineering investigation of the fifth Macau-Taipa link, which lasts 800 days, for 99 million patacas.
The local government first commissioned CCCC Highway Consultants Company Limited to carry out a feasibility study on the Macau-Taipa undersea tunnel project in 2016.
The local government plans for the proposed Macau-Taipa undersea tunnel to connect the Zone B land reclamation area – the one outside Nape – and the Zone D area, which was initially slated to be reclaimed off the northern coast of Taipa between the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge and Friendship Bridge.
When asked by reporters yesterday whether the possible cancellation of the Zone D reclamation project would affect the government’s proposed fifth Macau-Taipa link project, Chan replied that her bureau has been following up on the undersea tunnel project, meaning that its research study of the project is still ongoing, adding that her bureau has still not been notified by superiors of the possible amendments to the ongoing study.
“We [the bureau] have not received any decisive instructions [from any superiors], so we will continue with our ongoing work [the research study on the Macau-Taipa undersea tunnel project],” Chan said.
When asked whether the local government will build the fifth Macau-Taipa link if it finally decides to cancel the Zone D reclamation project, Chan replied, “Concerning this matter, I don’t dare to comment.”
Chan underlined that the local government still does not have a final decision on the fate of the Zone D reclamation project, adding that the government’s draft of Macau’s official urban master plan, which still includes Zone D, is still under public consultation.
This image provided by the bureau earlier this year shows the planned Macau-Taipa undersea tunnel (indicated by the green line) connecting the Zone B reclamation area (the orange area at the top) and the Zone D area (the orange area at the bottom). The government said this week that it had still not decided whether to get the Zone D land reclamation project off the ground.
Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) Director Chan Pou Ha speaks to reporters at her bureau yesterday. Courtesy: TDM
