Single-lane traffic on Amizade Bridge from Saturday through mid-August

Urgent maintenance work on the Amizade Bridge will begin this Saturday, requiring single-lane traffic in phases on both approach ramps until the project is completed in mid-August, authorities announced.

At an interdepartmental press conference yesterday morning, authorities announced that the bridge project is expected to take 90 working days and will be divided into eight sections, with work proceeding section by section.

As announced, the work in each section includes repaving the asphalt and replacing expansion joints. The asphalt resurfacing is expected to take three to four days per zone, with one traffic lane approximately 4.5 meters wide, while maintaining limited one-way traffic.

Expansion joint replacement will take about two weeks per section afterward. As noted, the first zone will be the expressway section heading toward Macau from Taipa.

Authorities cited an “urgent need” for maintenance, noting that the bridge has been in service for nearly 30 years and has experienced several deck issues. They also noted that it has been 25 years since the last major maintenance and that the asphalt layer has deteriorated significantly, posing traffic safety risks.

Additionally, potholes frequently appear in the expansion joints of the approach sections after rain.

According to yesterday’s press conference, the construction will primarily affect the bridge’s southern and northern approach ramps. Afterward, depending on traffic conditions, maintenance work on the main bridge section will proceed in an orderly manner.

During construction, only one lane will remain open to traffic within the construction zone, the Transport Bureau said. Trucks and cargo vehicles weighing more than 3.5 metric tons, which currently account for 20% to 40% of total traffic, will be prohibited from using the bridge for the duration of the works, the bureau added.

Authorities are urging drivers to use other Macau-Taipa bridges, specifically the Macau Bridge, which they consider the most suitable option.

Authorities justified this decision by citing the heavy traffic this bridge regularly experiences, noting that allowing heavy vehicles to circulate during this period, with narrow traffic lanes, could seriously affect traffic flow.

The construction work will span the summer vacation period, as authorities expect traffic to decline significantly during this season.

Nine major roadworks this summer

Meanwhile, authorities announced that, with summer vacation approaching, nine major construction projects, which have been discussed for consolidation and involve routes frequently used by students commuting to and from school, will begin sequentially between this month and August.

Officials emphasized that these projects have undergone thorough assessment.

Temporary traffic diversion arrangements will be announced in due course. Still, authorities stressed their commitment to completing the work and restoring traffic flow before the start of the school year in September, ensuring stable traffic conditions for the new academic term.

According to the interdepartmental group overseeing the assessment, measures to accelerate construction will be implemented, including combining construction activities, extending working hours for tasks with minimal impact on residents’ daily routines, strengthening supervision, and requiring contractors to deploy additional personnel.