Major bridge in Macao reaches construction milestone

Officials in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Monday celebrated a significant milestone in the construction of the fourth bridge linking the Macao Peninsula and Taipa Island, a major project that is set to help boost local traffic capacity and the region’s sustainable development.

At a ceremony, an official from the Macao SAR Government's Public Works Bureau announced the successful completion of the fourth Macao-Taipa bridge's main structure, laying a solid foundation for the completion of the bridge and its opening to traffic.

The bridge is built to the standard of a two-way, eight-lane urban expressway. The total length of it is approximately 3.08 kilometers, with the cross-sea section spanning 2.86 kilometers and the main bridge measuring 1.37 kilometers.

After it opens, the bridge will effectively alleviate traffic pressure on the three current sea-crossing bridges and Macao's road network and greatly facilitate travel for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area residents, according to Macao’s Public Works Bureau.

Officials described the project as a tribute to the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, and said the bridge will help boost the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao's special administrative regions.

The bridge, which is set to cost around 5.27 billion Macao patacas ($653.92 million), is being constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corp, China Railway Construction Bridge Engineering Bureau Group Co, and Aoma Construction Engineering Co.

Before the completion of the new bridge, three sea-crossing bridges had been completed between the Macao Peninsula and Taipa: the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, the Friendship Bridge, and the Sai Van Bridge.

Since its inception on March 26, 2020, the Macao-Taipa Bridge Project has faced challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, adverse weather, complex geology, and aviation restrictions. Despite these hurdles, the entire bridge structure has been completed, marking a significant milestone for the whole project, according to Macao officials.

Amid rapid development in the Greater Bay Area spurred by the nation, the new bridge will connect the Macao Peninsula, Taipa, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port, which will serve as a vital link for Macao’s integration into the Greater Bay Area, enhancing its global connectivity and integration into national development.