Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge is the first bridge linked Taipa with Macau peninsula. It begins from the peninsula at the coast just in front of Hotel Lisboa, and reaches Taipa Island at northern foot of Small Taipa Hill. Its construction was started in June 1970, and open to traffic in October 1974. It is named after Macau's Governor at that time, but is generally called Macau-Taipa Bridge. Its length is 2,569.8 meters with a width of 9.2 meters. The middle of the bridge is in the shape of a triangular arc, the top of which is 35 meters above sea level.
China-Portugal Friendship Bridge, also called New Macau-Taipa Bridge, begins in the peninsula at the eastern side of the Reservoir, and reaches Taipa at the reclaimed land to the north of Big Taipa Hill. Its overall length is 4,700 meters, including 800 meters of flyovers. Its width is 18 meters. The construction of the bridge began in June 1990 and open to traffic in March 1994. In the middle part of the bridge, there are two upraises about 30 meters above sea level.
In the past, Taipa Island and Coloane Island are much less developed areas with a sparse population. Only some small villages and two little towns on the islands. Fishing and agriculture are major economic activities. This backward situation continued for a very long time, because their connection with the urban peninsula was very inconvenient. The sea separates them. The only transport was small and slow ferries, it took one or two hours for a round trip. The transport even suspended when a typhoon or strong wind coming. Since the Taipa-Coloane Causeway (1969) and the fist Macau-Taipa Bridge (1974) linked the Islands to the Peninsula, and Macau's economy developed rapidly in the 1970s, steps of the Island's development have quickened.
(2001/11/14) Macau has decided to build a third bridge connecting Macau Peninsula and Taipa due to congestion on the existing bridges. The bridge will be built on the west side and 2200 metres long.
Macau-Taipa Bridge
Bridge of Friendship
Macau-Taipa Bridge appears on the following banknote(s):
Bridge of Friendship appears on the following banknote(s):
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