A ground-breaking ceremony was held Monday for Macao's third cross-sea bridge, which will link the western parts of Macao Peninsular and Taipa Island.
The 1,720-meter-long bridge will be built by the China Zhongtie Major Bridge Engineering Group Co., Ltd. at a cost of 560.18 million patacas (70 million US dollars). It will be a six-lane bridge with double floors -- the lower floor will be shut down in common days and open only when typhoon hits the city. Another feature is that on the bridge there will be an M-shaped arched door that signals the city of Macao.
Work for the largest public project since Macao returned to the motherland at the end of 1999 is scheduled for completion within 28 months.
Principal officials including Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wahand Ma Man Kei, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended Monday's ceremony.
Macao Peninsula and Taipa Island were first linked by a two-lane bridge in 1974, greatly boosting the development of the island. But the bridge found it increasingly difficult to undertake the mounting traffic in the coming decade, prompting the second cross-sea bridge to occur in 1994.
The vast majority of Macao residents now still live on the peninsular bordering Zhuhai City, while Taipa Island accommodates the Macao International Airport, the University of Macao, a large stadium, a horse-racing ground, three casinos and several residential quarters.