The Sai Van Bridge was officially inaugurated on December 19, 2004. The 560 million-pataca 2,200-meter bridge links Macau with Taipa and also with Cotai, the site of several soon-to-be completed new casinos, hotels and resorts, making a smooth link between the southwestern end of Macau and the northwest coast of Taipa, and easing traffic flow.
The cable-stayed bridges have been built in many other parts of the world, but the two-deck design for Macau may well be unique. The enclosed second deck fulfilled one of the fundamental criteria for Macau’s third bridge, which was that it, unlike the two existing bridges, could be used safely during typhoons. The lower deck is designed to make the bridge a dual-purpose structure that can accommodate a future light rail system.
