Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário said Wednesday he was confident that the Taipa section of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project will not run further over budget – i.e. the total cost of the project will not exceed 11 billion patacas (US$1.375 billion).
Rosário made the remarks after attending a meeting of the legislature’s Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concession Affairs.
Wednesday’s close-door meeting focused on the progress of the construction of the LRT Taipa section.
The government has said that the LRT Taipa section is scheduled to be operational in 2019. The Taipa section, which also covers Cotai, is 9.3 kilometres long and will have 11 stations.
According to the Macau Post Daily, Rosário said that 9.5 billion patacas have been spent so far on the LRT Taipa section project, adding he was confident that the total cost, including construction and the setting-up of the system, will not exceed the budgeted amount of 11 billion patacas. He reaffirmed that the LRT’s Taipa section can come into service in 2019.
When asked by the media whether it was possible for the Barra LRT station, which is on the southernmost tip of the peninsula, to come into service at the same time as the LRT Taipa section, Rosário said he was “sure” that the Barra station would not be operating at that time. The policy secretary said that he could only promise that the LRT Taipa section will come into service.
“The Barra station project will not be completed before my term ends [in December 2019]. I hope we* can do as much of the construction work as we can,” Rosário said.
Rosário said that the government would start the construction of the section connecting Taipa to Seac Pai Van in Coloane next year. He said he was also “sure” that the Seac Pai Van section will not come into service at the same time as the Taipa section.
When asked about the LRT Macau Peninsula plan, Rosário said the government did not have a schedule or budget for that section of the project.
Chief.Executive Chui Sai On said in his 2017 Policy Address last year that the section connecting Taipa to Barra – via Sai Van Bridge as well as the Barra LRT station were expected to be completed in 2024.
“Barra” is Portuguese for “harbour entrance”.
