The government’s Interdepartmental Road Projects Coordination Group has received 363 applications for roadwork permits from government entities and public utilities to be carried out in the upcoming year, which is a 21 percent increase year-on-year, Transport Bureau’s (DSAT) Deputy Director Lo Seng Chi said during a press conference yesterday at the bureau.
According to Lo, next year 55 roadworks will be carried out in the city’s main thoroughfares, which is the same amount as this year. He noted that the roadworks will take place in Avenida de Venceslau de Morais, Avenida Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues, Avenida da Ponte da Amizade, Estrada do Istmo and Avenida dos Jardins do Oceano. He added that sewage system improvements, Light Rail Transit (LRT) extension projects and pipe-laying plans will take place in the city’s main thoroughfares.
Lo said that the roadworks in Avenida de Venceslau de Morais will start at the beginning of next month, and the work includes building rain drains and sewage pipes and resurfacing asphalt. He added that the project will be separated into six phases, and it will take about 160 working days.
Lo said that next year’s roadworks will take between 30 and 400 days respectively.
Lo reminded residents to pay attention to possible new traffic arrangements to avoid delays as there will be more roadworks taking place next year than this year. He also said that there are over 20 projects that are ongoing which are expected to be completed next year.
Lo pointed out that until November, 110 roadwork projects had been completed, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the number of people on the streets which helped speed up the construction work. He said that the government’s Interdepartmental Road Projects Coordination Group received 301 applications this year, which included 28 projects from the previous year that had not been started. He noted that this year 18 of the 28 projects carried over from last year have been completed, adding that four of them are in progress, while the remaining six will be starting soon. He also added that there are 49 roadwork projects that are being reworked for different reasons.
Taipa walkway completion postponed
According to the DSSOPT website, the elevated walkway in Taipa was originally slated to be completed in April 2021. However, the website noted that the due to the COVID-19 pandemic the completion of the walkway needed to be postponed until June 2021. However, Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) Senior Technician Mak Hou Kit said yesterday that the Taipa elevated walkway project was now expected to be completed only in the third quarter of next year.
According to a DSSOPT statement in 2018, the walkway is 700-metres long. It is being built along Avenida de Guimarães, starting from the Light Rail Transit (LRT) station outside the Macau Stadium, continuing over Rotunda do Estádio and ending in Rotunda Dr. Sun Yat-sen. According to the 2018 statement, the walkway will have stairs, escalators or lifts at each access point along the walkway.
According to the 2018 statement, the bureau originally set up a maximum construction period of 900 working days for the 4.5-metre-wide elevated walkway. The company which won the bid for the project, Top Builders Group, said in its proposal that it expected to complete the project in December 2020.
Roadworks going on near Taipa’s Central Park last month.
Photos: Prisca Tang
This photo taken yesterday shows the construction site for the elevated walkway in Taipa along Avenida de Guimarães.
