The Gongguan Traffic Circle in Taipei is to be redesigned beginning on Sept. 13, marking an end to the city's most hazardous intersection, the Taipei City Government said today.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) in March announced that the traffic circle is to be demolished and the underpass filled in to create a traditional intersection.
The traffic circle that connects Keelung Road and Roosevelt Road in Zhongzheng District (中正) has been the city’s most hazardous intersection for seven consecutive years, city data showed.
Photo: Taipei Times
Work is expected to take 65 days, during which the roundabout would be converted from a seven-way junction to a standard four-way intersection with crosswalks, the Taipei Traffic Engineering Office said.
Buses would be rerouted from the underpass to a surface-level bus lane on Roosevelt Road, with services from Fuhe Bridge (福和橋) and Keelung Road using the new bus lane, it said.
The new planning, lane design and traffic control system are expected to reduce the risk of accidents by up to 63 percent, after the intersection ranked as the No. 1 spot for collisions for seven consecutive years, it said.
More than 70 percent of accidents occur due to collisions between vehicles traveling in the same direction, as the area is prone to overtaking, undertaking and weaving, the office said.
The changes would also shorten walking distances and reduce risk for pedestrians, it added.
Work was originally set to begin on June 28, but residents were concerned whether the Taipei City Government had adequately informed the public.
Residents also asked the government to conduct public surveys or a local referendum, while others called for the department to first improve road markings and traffic signals, although all requests were denied.
Expert reviews and international case studies showed that road markings would only improve safety by 5 to 12 percent due to the high traffic volume, high percentage of scooters and the unique design of the traffic circle, the office said.
Previous measures, such as marking guide lines on the road, failed to improve safety, it added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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