In a press conference Wednesday to announce the traffic arrangements and rerouting of public buses for the upcoming two-month roadworks to repair the underground drains in the city’s busy Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, Transport Bureau (DSAT) officials said the government expects “very serious” traffic jams to occur in a large area surrounding the avenue – as well as in the thoroughfare itself – when the project is being carried out.
Popularly, the avenue is known as San Ma Lou (“New Thoroughfare”).
The press conference detailing the project and the traffic arrangements was held at the Government Service Centre in Areia Preta.
The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) first announced early this month that it will carry out the San Ma Lou roadworks from June 30 to August 31.
During the press conference early this month, IACM officials said that the underground drains in the thoroughfare were constructed in 1928, and therefore have been in use for 90 years. They said as the current surface of the road has been in use for about 30 years, subsidence occurred in March, caused by soil erosion as a result of the constant heavy traffic. The bureau said that, consequently, it was necessary to carry out large-scale roadworks in the avenue.
During the period of the roadworks, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro will become a one-way street, with vehicles only allowed to go in the direction of Ponte 16.
According to the press conference, a total of 15 public bus routes using the thoroughfare will have to be diverted during the roadworks.
There will be two additional temporary public bus routes during the period of the project, namely 26AT and 88T, with the latter being free of charge.
The 88T route will travel between Macau Tower and Praça de Ponte e Horta, via Barra, according to yesterday’s press conference.
The 26AT route will depart from Fai Chi Kei and go along Avenida de Horta e Costa before arriving at Avenida do Infante D. Henrique in the city centre, after which it will follow the same route as 26A in the direction of Coloane.
DSAT officials also said that “very serious” traffic jams were expected to occur in nearby areas and roads such as Nam Van, Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues in Zape, as well as Rua do Almirante Sérgio and Rua do Visconde Paço de Arcos in the Inner Harbour area.
(Photo by Revista Macau)
