MACAO, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Macao's three sea-spanning bridges were closed by the traffic authorities Saturday as the escalating tropical cyclone Neoguri swept through the island city.

　　||^^ The Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) hoisted Gale Signal No. 8 at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, warning that the hurricane has been detected 250 km southwest off Macao's coast, and was moving at a speed of 15 km per hour northward.

　　||^^ As the storm escalated, the three bridges linking the Macao Peninsula and Taipa island were closed at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, but the authorities has opened the under layer passage of the city's Sai Van Bridge for sea-crossing traffic during the storm period, but was limited only to light vehicles.

　　||^^ Three bridges Sai Van, Nobre De Carvalho and Friendship, and a strip of reclaimed land link the Macao peninsula and the two islands, Taipa and Coloane.

　　||^^ Last year, the SMG has hoisted the Gale Signal No. 3 only once and No. 1 twice, whilst no cyclones has reached the level that required the SMG to hoist No. 8.