LRT Taipa route outline apparent this year

By
Kam Leong

Interim co-ordinator of the Transportation Infrastructure Office (GIT) Ho Cheong Kei says that the construction of the elevated bridge pile foundation for the Taipa route of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) is almost finished, claiming that the public will be able to see the outline of the elevated bridge and the LRT stations this year.
“[We] are now working on the construction of the upper structure [of the Taipa route]. Meanwhile, the construction of the abutments is 80 per cent complete… During the second half of this year, when the main constructions are almost finished, such as the elevated bridge and the LRT stops, we will start installing the system for the LRT,” he said on TDM Radio show Macau Forum yesterday.
Recently, Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo Rosario told reporters after meeting with a sub-committee of the Legislative Assembly that the government cannot provide a schedule for when the city’s whole LRT will be finished but indicated that the Taipa side will not be operational in 2016 as originally slated.
Claiming the delay in the construction of the Taipa route is due to the construction of a depot, the Secretary said that the government would discuss the resolution of this issue with the contractor. Yesterday, the GIT acting head said the government is still in discussions with the contractor.
On the other hand, Mr. Ho said that the design work for the southern line of the Peninsula route, connecting Golden Lotus Square to Barra, will be finished during the first half of this year.
“Right after the design work, we will open the tender [for the construction],” he said.
In addition to the design work of the southern line, the government will decide which of the three plans will be adapted for the northern line of the LRT on the Peninsula, connecting Golden Lotus Square to the Border Gate. Mr. Ho said that the government is now analysing the opinions in the proposals for the northern line collected from previous public consultations.
Last June, the government proposed three plans for the northern line of the LRT, which are all to be elevated sections, located at Avenida Leste do Hipódromo, Avenida 1º de Maio and along the coastline, respectively.
The government estimated at that time it would spend at least MOP500 million per kilometer on construction whichever proposal is eventually selected.