At least two egress points have been made to allow future motor traffic to cross three lanes on Cotai and enter Galaxy Macau’s new convention center, the Times has learnt.
The two openings are located between The Venetian Macao’s expo hall complex and the Galaxy Macau, and between the nature reserve on Cotai and the Galaxy Macau, respectively.
As no traffic lights were seen at the junctions, it is unclear if bollards will be laid to minimize the risk of fatal car accidents similar to that which occurred between the Broadway Macau and the Galaxy Macau.
The condition of the road on the Broadway side of Galaxy Macau is nearly identical to this new road, including the purpose of the opening – which is to offer access to a resort – and the need to cross three lanes before detouring traffic can reach the entrance of the resort.
At about 1 p.m., June 20, 2015, a motor cyclist was driving along Avenida Marginal Flor de Lotus, when he crashed into a seven-seater vehicle that was moving out from a road opening and crossing three lanes at a relatively low speed. The seven-seater was traveling toward the entrance of the Broadway Macau parking lot.
The crash took the life of the 57-year-old local motor cyclist.
After the fatal crash, the government placed plastic blocks to close off the road opening, as well as at another such facility nearby in the opposite direction.
The need for the new points of egress is questionable due to the location of a roundabout further down the road, which allows traffic to undertake a U-turn to access the two new entrances of Galaxy Macau.
An enquiry was sent to the Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) on whether it had proactively applied for the establishment of the facility and if so, why GEG had chosen openings similar to that which had been partially the cause of a fatal accident in between two of its properties, the Galaxy Macau and the Broadway Macau.
A spokesperson from the gaming concessionaire replied that the company “will review [the] email and get back to [the Times] if there [are] any updates.”
Meanwhile, the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) was also questioned on the matter. In a phone reply to the Times, a spokesperson from the bureau suggested an enquiry be sent to the Transport Bureau (DSAT) as the matter is not within the DSSOPT’s authority.
The spokesperson was then questioned where the application should be sent, given the current case as an example. He said that if detours are to be constructed on existing public roads, applications should be made to the DSAT, because it is authorized to handle these scenarios.
When emailing the DSSOPT, a similar enquiry was also sent to the DSAT, asking the grounds on which the DSAT allowed the facility. As of press time yesterday, no reply has been received from the latter bureau.
