With the Lunar New Year holiday coming to and end, more than 3 million cars are expected to hit the road today, the National Freeway Bureau said yesterday.
The bureau advised motorists to make use of the highways during the high occupancy vehicle restriction hours or to start their drive back home at night when traffic thins out.
From 9pm yesterday to 7am today, toll-free travel applies to both southbound and northbound lanes, it said.
The rush-hour period is estimated to begin after 3pm today when the high occupancy vehicle restrictions end, it said.
The restrictions are to be implemented from 9am to 3pm on National Highway No. 1 northbound lanes between Greater Kaohsiung to Neili (內壢), Taoyuan County, National Highway No. 3 northbound lanes from Jiouru (九如), Pingtung County, and Dasi (大溪), Taoyuan County.
The restrictions also apply to vehicles traveling north on National Highway No. 5 from 3pm to 8pm from Suao (蘇澳) to Toucheng (頭城).
The northbound entrance for the Yanpu (鹽埔) system interchange on National Highway No. 1 is closed today.
The bureau warned of potential traffic bottlenecks from 9am to 1pm for vehicles traveling south on the Changhua system interchange of National Highway No. 1, and from 3pm to 11pm on the northbound lane between Siluo (西螺) and Changhua (彰化) and between Toufen (頭份) and Jhubei (竹北).
National Highway No. 3 may see traffic jams from 9am to 1pm for those traveling south from Kuaiguan (快官) to Wujih (烏日) and north from Muzha (木柵) to Nanshen Road in Nangang District (南港), the bureau said.
More traffic bottlenecks are expected from 3pm to 11pm around the northbound lanes between Mingjian (名間), Nantou County, and the Wufeng (霧峰) system interchange, Greater Taichung, between Siping (西濱) and Baoshan (寶山), and between Longtan (龍潭), Taoyuan County, and Sanying Road in Yingge District (鶯歌), New Taipei City (新北市), the bureau said.
The bureau urged the public to take note of the most immediate flash bulletins broadcast on the road or on radio, adding that motorists may also utilize the 1968 App, or simply call customer service at 1968 for traffic updates.
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