Taichung MRT Construction Period Resolved

Utilizing Alternative Roads, Resolving Inconvenience

Words by Cheng Chien-min Translated by Erica Lin
Photos provided by the Transportation Bureau Taichung City Government

The Taichung MRT Green (Wuri-Wenxin-Beitun) Line has begun its much-anticipated construction, launching a project that will have great impact on Greater Taichung's future development and public convenience. Upon completion, it will be Taichung's first MRT line, helping the city take a significant step towards fully becoming a modern, international metropolis.

The above-ground, elevated Taichung MRT Green Line starts around the SongZhu Road No.2 bridge in Beitun district. From there, it heads west across the Taiwan Railways line via SongZhu Road and turns onto BeiTun Road. From BeiTun Road, it turns right before the intersection with WenXin Road, Section 4. From WenXin South Road, it goes around the back of Chung Shan Medical University to JianGuo Road. After crossing over the high HuanZhong Road bridge it passes the Zhongshan North-South Freeway (Rt. 1) and, crossing the Fa Zi River along the northern side of the railroad, it arrives at the Taichung High Speed Rail station.

According to the director of the Taichung City Transportation Bureau, the Green Line is a part of the city's medium-capacity transit system and will stretch 16.71 kilometers, covering Beitun, North, Xitun, Nantun, South and Wuri districts. Along its total length, 15.94 kilometers will be elevated and 0.77 kilometers will be on ground level, with a total of 18 stations, including 16 elevated stations and two ground-level stations. A railroad workshop will also be established on the west side of Hanxi River. In May this year, construction work began on WenXin, SongZhu, BeiTun, WenXin South and JianGuo North roads.

Public transport to reduce traffic jams
As construction on the Green Line progresses, the Transportation Bureau plans to initially install detour signs at main intersections on BeiTun, DongShan, ChongDe, DaYa, JianGuo North, HuanZhong, FuXing and WenXin South roads and Taiwan Boulevard to redirect vehicles onto DaLian, HanKou, TaiYuan, JinHua North, ZhongMing, ZhongMing South, DongXing, DaDun, HuiZhong, HeNan, LiMing and other alternative routes. This will help reduce traffic jams caused by construction work, effectively easing the flow of vehicles around construction sites, as traffic signals are adjusted according to car flows on neighboring alternative roads and traffic-control facilities are installed.

In addition, in respond to the elimination of roadside parking spaces because of Green Line construction, the Transportation Bureau has drawn up 336 new parking spaces along WenZhong, SiChuan, ChongQing, LuoYang, YingHua, ChangAn, GanSu, ChengDu, NingXia, HeNan and LiaoNing foads. In addition to the existing 18 large-scale parking lots near WenXin Road, the bureau also continues to supervise the painting of new parking spaces around the same road. Residents holding monthly parking passes for designated areas on WenXin are encouraged to purchase monthly tickets for general-rate designated areas along neighboring roads assigned by the Transportation Bureau; tickets are NT$600 a month.

Furthermore, there are public bus services running along major roads that intersect with WenXin, such as ChongDe, Daya, HeNan, NingXia, XiTun, Daye, GongYi, XiangShang, WuQuan West, NanTun, YongChun East and WenXin South 5th roads and Taiwan Boulevard. The Transportation Bureau will also negotiate with bus companies to boost the number of buses in service and provide the public with free bus services within eight kilometers of WenXin Road. The bureau also encourages everyone to utilize public transportation to reduce the congestion and related inconveniences.

Transporation Bureau Director Lin Liang-Tay stresses that there will be inconvenience to drivers during the construction period. To help reduce traffic jams, motorists will be given plenty of related directions, notifications and information plus route adjustments and other measures, arranged in advance. Furthermore, real-time monitoring systems will be set up at busier intersections to provide instant updates on traffic conditions.

Enduring traffic inconveniences in anticipation of a brighter future
The Greater Taichung Metropolitan Public MRT Wuri-Wenxin-Beitun Line construction plans are currently being implemented. Set-up construction work and relocation of underground pipes was completed on November 17, 2012, and all of the detailed civil-engineering design work was finished on September 28, 2012. The body construction of civil engineering was awarded to a bidder on January 22 this year, with construction work starting at the beginning of March.

The epochal Wuri-Wenxin-Beitun MRT Line is Taichung city's first MRT line. In order to fulfill the public's high expectations, the city government is requesting that the builder--the Taipei City Government's Department of Rapid Transit Systems--speed up the construction process as much as possible, with a goal of overcoming all difficulties to work towards the running of tests on stations G0 to G3 by the end of 2015.

However, traffic flow along the construction route and nearby roads will undoubtedly will be affected. A city government team is proposing numerous solutions in response to all kinds of possible traffic-jam scenarios in hopes of reducing such situations, and requests the public's understanding and support as it works toward a better future for Taichung city.