The government is giving the public an opportunity to name the fourth Macao-Taipa bridge, which is set to open in the second quarter of next year.
Residents aged 18 and above can suggest up to three prospective names for the bridge and submit them via their Macao One Account. Only Chinese or Portuguese names will be considered, the Public Works Bureau (DSOP) said in a statement.
A selection committee will then shortlist five names, from which the government will pick the winner. Cash prizes of between 6,000 and 10,000 patacas are on offer for the runners-up and eventual winner.
Residents can also submit their proposals until 15 January, via a competition website. They should include explanations for why they believe their proposed names are best for the bridge.
[See more: The Taipa-Barra LRT extension has opened]
The Sai Van Bridge was the last Macao-Taipa bridge to open, in January 2005. It was also named by the public, who submitted more than 1,000 options. Sai Van means “West Bay” in Cantonese.
The other two bridges are the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge (popularly called the “old bridge”), which opened in 1974, and the Amizade (“Friendship”) Bridge, which opened in 1994.
Construction of the fourth bridge began in 2020. Its eight lanes, spanning more than three kilometres, will connect the Zone A and Zone E1 land reclamation areas.
Eighty-five percent of the 5.27 billion pataca bridge has been completed, said DSOP representative Ng Hong at a press conference last Friday.
Macao can expect chilly weather from the middle of next week
The temperature is forecast to drop to a low of 13°C next Thursday, as a result of a cold front making its way across the country