Northern district faces month-long roadworks for power network extension

Macau’s sole electricity supplier, CEM, is set to launch a month-and-a-half-long roadwork project in the city’s northern district in order to expand its 66kV high-voltage power network in the area. It is expected that the excavation and cable installation stages of the project will result in restricted access for traffic.
The first phase of the expansion and reinforcement work, according to the company’s Senior Engineer Ernesto do Rosario, will commence at the end of this month. Mr Rosario also said that the project is necessary for Macau to meet rising demand for electricity in the future and ensure overall power stability for the city.
“The purpose of laying power cables in the Areia Preta district is to expand our 66kV high-voltage power network. By the time it is completed, the entire city’s power stability will be strengthened,” said Rosario, adding that the company would do its best to minimize the possibility of outages in the coming summer.
Also attending the media briefing yesterday was a representative from the Transport Bureau, Leong Kei Yiu, who expressed the authorities’ support for the works, saying that they understand the urgency of the project because the season of high-peak power consumption is around the corner.
“As the summer vacation is coming up, during which time everyone knows that electricity consumption is high. Considering that CEM’s power networks need to reach certain levels of stability, it’s urgent to coordinate with them and allow them to carry out the required work as soon as possible for the sake of local livelihood,” Mr Leong said.
In 2009, five government departments formed a cooperative panel with local utility companies in order to discuss potential roadwork projects. The group pledged to avoid launching repetitious excavation works on the same road in a short period of time. However, some of the roads involved in the network expansion have already experienced similar projects last year.
During the construction period, one lane of the avenue near the Victoria Hotel Macau in the Areia Preta region will be temporarily closed. Vehicles will only be allowed to travel in the direction of IIha Verde under the provisional traffic arrangement. Parking spaces on about 10 streets in the district will also be limited or reduced.
To lessen the impact of the roadworks, the company has ordered four contractors to start their operations simultaneously in a bid to shorten the time required for the project.