The Macao Bridge was inaugurated on 1 October, coinciding with the National Day of the People’s Republic of China. At a ceremony held that morning, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng described the bridge as a “splendid gift” that complemented the dual celebrations being held this year: the 25th anniversary of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
The approximately 3.1-kilometre structure is the fourth link between the Macao Peninsula and Taipa, and the closest one to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB). Its opening is expected to streamline travel from the mainland city and the neighbouring SAR to Macao’s south. The bridge’s southern terminus in Pac On, where the inauguration ceremony took place, is close to the Taipa Ferry Terminal, the Light Rail Transit system and the international airport. The northern entry point is located in Zone A, a reclaimed residential area connected to the HZMB’s Macao port of entry.
In his speech, Ho said that the new bridge would improve the well-being of residents, promote Macao’s economic diversification and support the city’s efforts to become a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. He also emphasised that the bridge was a key infrastructure project supported by government policies aimed at enhancing urban planning and promoting sustainable development. Ho reaffirmed the government’s commitment to further infrastructure projects that would bolster Macao’s role within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The chief executive acknowledged the Central Government’s support in building the bridge, noting that Xia Baolong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, took the time to personally inspect its progress earlier this year. Ho also expressed gratitude for Beijing’s continued backing of Macao under the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework.
With its eight lanes (four in each direction), the Macao Bridge is expected to reduce traffic congestion by diverting about 30 percent of vehicles from the nearby Amizade (Friendship) Bridge during peak hours. Unlike the city’s other bridges, this one features wind protection barriers, that could allow traffic to pass during typhoons. However, authorities are still gathering data before approving the bridge for use in more severe weather. While the bridge lacks a pedestrian walkway, one lane in each direction is reserved for motorcycles.
Construction on the Macao Bridge began in March 2020, and Macao residents have closely followed its development – celebrating every milestone. Earlier this year, thousands participated in a competition to name the bridge, submitting suggestions to a selection committee. In the end, ‘Macao Bridge’ was chosen from a shortlist that included New Urban Bridge Silver Jubilee Bridge, Kiang Hoi (Chinese for ‘Mirror Sea’) Bridge and Hou Kong (Chinese for ‘Oyster River’) Bridge.
The Sunday before the bridge opened to traffic, around 21,000 residents braved scorching temperatures to walk across the new structure, capturing photographs to commemorate what has already become a historic day for Macao.
The new bridge joins three other sea crossings between Macao and Taipa. The first, the 2.5-kilometre Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, was designed by the acclaimed Portuguese engineer Edgar Cardoso and opened in 1974. It only has two lanes. The 4.4-kilometre, four-lane Amizade Bridge followed two decades later, while the 2.1-kilometre, six-lane Sai Van Bridge opened in 2005.
