The Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) said artists and academics in New Taipei City’s Tamsui (淡水) and Bali (八里) districts would be invited to join a committee to review the profile of the soon-to-be-built Tamkang Bridge (淡江大橋).
The highway authority yesterday announced that it has recently chosen six qualified bridge engineering teams from Europe, North America and Asia through a preliminary review.
They are to enter the next phase of the competition, in which they are to pitch their ideas on the design of the bridge.
DGH Deputy Director-General Hsia Ming-sheng (夏明勝) said that the focus in this round of competition was on the overall contour of the bridge and the significance of the design. He said that the bridge, once built, must complement the sunset over the Tamsui River, one of the tourist attractions in the district.
Aside from engineers, Hsia said that five local artists and academics would be included in the bridge profile selection jury, adding that government representatives are to serve in the jury as well.
According to the DGH, five of the six teams are to be selected to enter the next round of competition, which is be evaluated by five independent experts and two jurors serving as the convener and the deputy convener.
The jury in this round would review the concepts governing the bridge design, the structure, the budget, the use of labor, the firms’ records of fulfilling contracts, and other factors.
The first-prize winner would be awarded the priority price negotiation right, the directorate said, adding that the contract would be given to the top-prize winner if the negotiation is successful.
Each of the four remaining teams would receive a prize of NT$2 million (US$65,000) to compensate their participation expenses, it added. Under the DGH plan, the 12.06km bridge would connect Tamsui and Bali districts, with the width of the bridge being 44m and the height being 20m.
The highway on the bridge would have a speed limit of 80kph.
Meanwhile, part of the bridge is reserved for the construction of the light-rail track, which is about 8m wide.
The construction cost of the bridge is estimated to top NT$15.3 billion, the directorate said, adding that it would divert the traffic volume from the Guandu Bridge (關渡大樓) and help develop the Danhai New Town (淡海新市鎮).
Prior to the launch of the project, the construction of the bridge was vehemently opposed by local residents and artists because they said the bridge would hinder the view of the sunset over the Tamsui River.
They had asked the Ministry of Culture to designate the sunset as “a cultural sight” and said that the government should investigate the eco-environment and archeological sites at the mouth of the Tamsui River and seek to protect them.
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