The Taipei sections of the MRT’s Circular (Yellow) Line are shovel-ready and await the approval of funding from the central government, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said at a news conference on Thursday following an inspection of a proposed construction site.
The city government has locked in bids for most of the eight planned sections that would link the two terminal stations of the completed portion of the metro line in New Taipei City, Chiang said.
Contracts have been signed to construct four of the six sections in northern areas of Taipei and both southern sections, he said.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The municipality overcame steep challenges to award tenders for three sections amid a surge in the cost of raw materials and supply chain disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said.
The city government held numerous conferences and was aggressive in its efforts to convince construction firms to bid for contracts, Chiang said.
Last month, Taipei awarded a contract for part of the proposed line’s much-anticipated eastern portion in Neihu District (內湖), which is expected to ease traffic congestion in the area, he said.
Asked about an ongoing dispute between the Taipei City Government and BES Engineering Corp over damage to the completed portion of the line after an earthquake on April 3, Chiang said that the city is looking for a third party to arbitrate.
BES has refused to pay for repairs following the tremor, saying that former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) voided the warranty by cutting the ribbon on construction before quality control assessments had been completed.
Hopefully, a trusted institution can be found to determine whether the damage was due to the natural disaster or flawed construction, Chiang said.
Taiwan has received more than US$70 million in royalties as of the end of last year from developing the F-16V jet as countries worldwide purchase or upgrade to this popular model, government and military officials said on Saturday. Taiwan funded the development of the F-16V jet and ended up the sole investor as other countries withdrew from the program. Now the F-16V is increasingly popular and countries must pay Taiwan a percentage in royalties when they purchase new F-16V aircraft or upgrade older F-16 models. The next five years are expected to be the peak for these royalties, with Taiwan potentially earning
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