The government is asking residents aged at least 18 to propose up to three names for the future fourth Macau-Taipa bridge, the construction of which is now scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of next year.
The government is yet to announce the bridge’s opening date.
The ongoing naming campaign is running until January 15. Only those holding an account on the government’s Macao One Account service can submit their proposals.
The campaign only accepts names in Macau’s two official languages, Chinese and Portuguese. The proponents can submit up to three names either in Chinese or in Portuguese, or in both languages, but never more than three suggestions in total.
After the campaign, a selection committee will shortlist five names, from which the government will choose the final one.
Moreover, all those who proposed the name chosen by the government will enter a lucky draw, from which the winner will receive a cash prize of 10,000 patacas.
The Public Works Bureau (DSOP), the public entity organising the name consultation, hosted a press conference on its premises in Zape on Friday. The naming campaign started on Saturday.
Both permanent and non-permanent residents can submit their proposals. Participants can submit their name proposals on the campaign’s website (https://www.dsop.gov.mo/public/event/4bridge/) where they must log into their Macao One Account to fill in the form.
Each proponent can suggest up to three names, either in Chinese or Portuguese, or in both languages, for the future bridge in the online form, which must include a brief description of each of the proposed name or names, explaining their proposal.
Once the proponents complete and submit the forms, they cannot log in again to change the names and their descriptions.
After the completion of the one-month campaign, a selection committee consisting of community association representatives and professionals from various segments of civil society will shortlist five from the submitted names.
The government will choose one from the five shortlisted names for the fourth Macau-Taipa bridge’s official name. However, the press conference did not reveal when the government is expected to announce its final choice.
Prizes
All those who proposed the same name chosen by the government will each receive a certificate. In addition, they will enter a lucky draw, among which the winner will receive a cash prize of 10,000 patacas plus a souvenir, while first runner-up will receive 8,000 patacas plus a souvenir. The second runner-up will receive 6,000 patacas plus a souvenir.
In addition to the winner and the first and second runners-up, the lucky draw will also choose up to 50 others who proposed the name chosen by the government.
Details of the campaign were presented by DSOP Director Lam Wai Hou and Tam Im I, who heads the bureau’s General Support and Information Division, during Friday’s press conference.
The city’s current three sea-crossing bridges connecting the Macau peninsula and Taipa island are the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge (informally known as the “old bridge”) which opened in 1974, the Friendship Bridge which opened in 1994, and Sai Van Bridge which opened in January 2005.
19 years ago
Lam also pointed out during the press conference that 19 years ago the government also held a campaign asking local residents to propose names for the third Macau-Taipa bridge when it finally chose Sai Van Bridge as the official name.
The government announced the third Macau-Taipa bridge’s official name, Sai Van Bridge, in early December 2004, after choosing among five names shortlisted by a selection committee from about 1,000 names proposed by more than 400 local residents. The other four shortlisted names at that time were Macau Bridge, Hou Kong (“Oyster River”) Bridge, Hou Kiang (“Oyster Mirror”) Bridge, and Ma Kok Bridge.
Sai Van, which means “west bay” in Cantonese, is the geographic name of the area on the south-western tip of the Macau peninsula where the third Macau-Taipa bridge is located.
Hou Kong and Hou Kiang are names by which Macau is traditionally known in Cantonese.
Ma Kok is the Cantonese name of Barra near Sai Van.
Lam said he expected the achievements of this time’s naming campaign to be “similar” to the one 19 years ago.
Bridge project’s progress
During the press conference, Ng Hong, who heads the bureau’s Infrastructures Department, said that the 5.27-billion-pataca fourth Macau-Taipa bridge project, which got off the ground on March 26, 2020, is now scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of next year.
Ng said that 85 percent of the project has been completed.
The 3,085-metre-long bridge will have eight vehicular lanes - four in each direction. One lane in each direction will be for motorcycles only.
The bridge will connect the Zone A and Zone E1 land reclamation areas.
Lam said that the ongoing road-network projects connected to the bridge on both peninsula and Taipa sides are slated to be completed before the bridge project’s completion.
This handout photo taken from the Public Works Bureau’s (DSOP) website shows the ongoing fourth Macau-Taipa bridge project in the Outer Harbour last week.
This photo taken from the top of Guia Hill on Saturday shows the current Friendship Bridge (front) and the under-construction fourth Macau-Taipa bridge. – Photo: Tony Wong
