Waterfront Promenade’s third phase coming soon

The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) confirmed that the third phase of the Waterfront Promenade project will soon begin.

At a recent meeting of the Central District Community Advisory Board, IAM officials said that this phase aims to extend the coastal promenade from the “Gate of Understanding” to the Barra Escola de Pilotagem (Nautical School), with several preparatory works already underway. While it is unclear when construction will officially begin for this phase, IAM officials indicated that a public tender is expected to be launched sometime next year.

With no concrete schedule or plan in place, the section in question appears to be the area between the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre and the western side of the Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge.

When first proposed, the idea of creating a coastal promenade along the southern Peninsula was to seamlessly connect the Macau Science Center area with the Barra District. The project was designed to include a range of leisure and sports facilities, such as a continuous cycle and walking/jogging path. However, the completion of this phase seems to be facing challenges, primarily due to the planning for the central section of Zone B of the new landfills.

The Zone B imbroglio

According to information from the Public Works Bureau, Zone B covers an area of approximately 47 hectares and was originally planned for road infrastructure, tourism and leisure facilities, parks, and green spaces, among other uses.

In the past, there were discussions about using the central section of Zone B for the construction of an underwater road tunnel that would connect to Zone D of the new landfills on the Taipa side, although Zone D has not yet been built. This proposal has undergone several changes over time, with the government even announcing at one point that it was planning to completely cancel the construction of Zone D, a decision that was later reversed.

Almost a year ago, lawmaker Si Ka Lon raised a question with the government regarding the need to move forward with the development plan and infrastructure construction for Zone B. Si’s inquiry came after noticing that the government’s budget for the year once again made no reference to any development in this area.

Zone B, which was built nearly 20 years ago, has been largely idle for an extended period. It has mostly been used for parking buses and heavy-duty vehicles, failing to meet the original goal of developing the coastal area of the Peninsula.