The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) is planning to build a number of cycle tracks on the western waterfront of Cotai, to connect them to the existing cycle tracks on the western coast of Taipa and the one near the Lotus Flower Bridge, with the aim of forming a 6-kilometre-long cycle track from the northwest of Taipa extending to the northwest of Coloane.
Two officials from the bureau briefed the media on Wednesday about the plan, at a waterfront recreational area outside Ocean Gardens. They also briefed reporters about the recently finished recreational area.
According to Lei Wa Pao, who heads the bureau’s Urban Facilities Maintenance Division, the whole cycle track will be made up of six segments as well as a segment near the Lotus Flower Bridge.
The first, second and third segments are open to cyclists already, while the fourth, fifth and sixth segments are being planned, Lei said, adding that his bureau started construction of the first segment in 2013. The Lotus Flower Bridge segment is also already in use.
The first, second and third segments, which are connected to each other, start around the southwest coast of Taipa near the Macau Jockey Club and end at the entrance of the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge (commonly known as the Old Bridge), according to Lei.
The sixth segment will start from the Lotus Flower Bridge segment and end near Lai Chi Vun Village in the northwest of Coloane, Lei said.
The fourth and fifth segments, which will be connected to each other, will start from near the Macau Jockey Club and will run into the Lotus Flower Bridge segment, Lei said.
Lei said he expected the sixth segment to be completed by early next year.
Concerning the fourth and fifth segments, Lei said that their construction would involve the acquisition of several plots of land that are privately owned.
According to the Macau Post Daily, Lei said his bureau was discussing the matter with the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) to tackle the land ownership issue. Lei said at the moment he could not say when the issue would be solved.
Lei also said after all sixth segments and the Lotus Flower Bridge segment have been connected in the future, the whole project will form a 6-km-long cycle track starting from the entrance of the Old Bridge and ending near Lai Chi Vun Village in Coloane.
The existing three segments of cycle tracks are 3,250 metres long, the combined construction cost of which amounted to MOP 48 million, Lei said.
Ung Sio Wai, who heads the bureau’s Green Spaces Division, briefed reporters on Wednesday on the greening work along the cycle tracks.
Ung said that about 1,130 plants have been planted along the cycle tracks.
