Hope may be at hand for motorists frustrated by traffic snarl-ups in and around Zone A of the Macau New Urban Zone, after the Transport Bureau (DSAT) announced yesterday that it is taking action to tackle traffic congestion.
Zone A comprises the eastern part of the ambitious, 7.3 square kilometre reclamation project, and runs from the northern tip of the Avenida da Ponte de Amizade down to the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal.
The new measures include opening a right-turn lane from the Barrier Gate to Avenida Leste do Hipódromo via Avenida Norte do Hipódromo and removing the right-turn junction from Avenida do Dr Francisco Vieira Machado to Rotunda da Amizade during peak traffic hours, the Macau Post Daily reported.
Kelvin Lam Hin San, the DSAT’s director, said that traffic demand in and out of Zone A was increasing due to the adjustment of the city’s customs clearance policy, the ongoing urban development of Zone A, and the implementation of the Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles policy that allows Macao vehicles to travel to mainland China.
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He added that the peak traffic volume at Rotunda da Amizade has returned to pre-2019 pandemic levels, with the number of vehicles travelling from Zone A to Rotunda da Amizade rising to 1,500 per hour. The roundabout is expected to remain the only link to Zone A until 2025.
Lam Wai Hou, director of the Public Works Bureau, said that there are currently 25 projects underway in Zone A, including 13 buildings and 12 infrastructure projects, with 13 projects currently in the design phase. He described Zone A as a “big and chaotic construction site” with nearly 38 projects commencing at the same time in the next year or two.
Raimundo do Rosário, the secretary for transport and public works, said that the fourth Macao-Taipa bridge project was expected to be completed in the second half of next year. He said that the number of roads leading from Zone A to the Macao Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge would be increased to two at the end of this year and he asked for the public’s patience.
