The Xinsheng Overpass (新生高架橋) will reopen to traffic tomorrow after a 16-month reconstruction project, the Taipei City Government announced yesterday.
The overpass, which was built more than 25 years ago, has been undergoing reconstruction work since July last year. The overpass will reopen at noon after an opening ceremony in the morning.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) inspected the project yesterday and said the safety of the overpass was assured after a thorough safety report and inspection by Taipei City’s Transportation Department.
“The reconstruction increases the overpass’ earthquake resistance capacity and will improve the flow of traffic around the Yuanshan area. We look forward to the reopening of the overpass,” he said.
Luo Shiaw-shyan (羅孝賢), commissioner of the department, said the new overpass would solve the problem of traffic jams at the Yuanshan Tunnel and reduce the traffic flow around Yuanshan by around 50 percent.
After the overpass is reopened, cars heading to Shilin (士林) and Beitou (北投) can traverse the overpass via Tunghe Street, while traffic heading to Dazhi (大直) and Neihu (內湖) can use the overpass to access Beian Road, he said.
The overpass is a main route connecting northern and southern Taipei along with the Jianguo Overpass (建國高架橋).
The city’s New Construction Department tore down the section of the overpass that crosses the Keelung River and the northern approach to the overpass in July last year.
The quality of the construction work was called into question recently after the city government acknowledged that substandard adhesive had been used in the reconstruction project.
The city government stopped using the problematic adhesive and invited the Taipei Structural Engineers Association to assess the work last month.
Hau said a report confirmed the safety of the reconstruction work allowing the overpass to be reopened according to the original schedule.