As Taiwan prepares to open one of its most ambitious engineering projects, residents on each side of the Tamsui River are wondering what the new Danjiang Bridge could bring — relief from gridlock, an influx of tourists or just new traffic headaches.
Scheduled to open on May 12, the 920m bridge links Tamsui and Bali districts in New Taipei City across the Tamsui River estuary.
Authorities say the new bridge should ease congestion and boost tourism, but locals and business owners remain divided.
Photo: Wu Liang-yi, Taipei Times
Jack Lin, a resident, pointed to chronic traffic problems in the area on the city’s western coast.
“Right now, Tamsui basically has only one way in and out, and it’s always jammed,” he said, referring to Provincial Highway 2 (PH2), the main route connecting Tamsui to Taipei, and adding that he hopes the bridge reduces traffic.
The route to Taipei is used by residents of Danhai New Town in northern Tamsui and those living near Tamsui MRT Station, including Lin himself, and is burdened at the Guandu Bridge by traffic from Bali heading downtown.
Tamsui resident Lin Chien-ming (林建明) said that after the inauguration of the Danjiang Bridge, congestion on PH2 during peak hours could be shortened by at least 10 minutes, with traffic volumes reduced by about 25 percent.
During the morning rush hour, a trip from the Tamsui MRT Station to the area near the Guandu Bridge can take 30 minutes to an hour, Lin Chien-ming said, based on a decade of experience as a taxi driver, while map app estimates show the same journey takes only about 6 to 16 minutes during off-peak hours.
The Danjiang Bridge would offer Tamsui residents an alternative route to the Guandu Bridge, which spans the Tamsui River upstream, when traveling to Bali or onward to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, he added.
While some residents welcome the promise of smoother traffic, business owners are less certain that the bridge would translate into economic gains, even after Minister of Transportation and Communications Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said it could attract 24,000 to 25,000 visitors to Tamsui on holidays.
Jimmy Liao (廖志恆), owner of a dessert shop on Tamsui Old Street, said that the new bridge might have only “a modest impact” on visitor numbers, as most tourists come from Taipei instead of Bali and they come by the MRT or by bus.
Chen said that the bridge could benefit Bali more by encouraging tourists who only planned to visit Tamsui to cross the river.
Nearby, souvenir shop owner Mary Yen (顏瑪莉) had a more optimistic view.
She described the Danjiang Bridge as “a beautiful piece of architecture” that could become a destination in its own right.
“Just like people make a special trip to see Taipei 101, I believe they’ll also come here for this [bridge],” she said.
Across the river in Bali, a district with a smaller population where tourism is less developed, some business owners worry that increased traffic could strain local roads.
Chang Hsiu-ling (張琇玲), whose family has run a donut shop on Bali Old Street since 1971, said the bridge could funnel more cars onto Provincial Highway 15, a four-lane road running south toward the Guandu Bridge, which connects PH2 to Taipei.
Chang, 53, said visitors are often advised to leave Bali by 5pm before “the traffic here gets completely jammed” later in the evening.
While the bridge might make it easier for tourists to drive to Bali from Tamsui, replacing a ferry which only carries passengers and motorcycles, she said traffic congestion could discourage visits.
Others in Bali are less worried.
Johnson Huang (黃語超), lemon tea shop proprieter, said Bali’s smaller population of about 43,000 could absorb additional traffic.
“Even if some of Tamsui’s traffic is diverted here, it still won’t get too congested,” he said.
As the opening date approaches, the Danjiang Bridge has become more than a piece of infrastructure, symbolizing both hope and uncertainty for communities long shaped by the Tamsui River.
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