The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today.
The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽).
The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Government’s Department of Rapid Transit Systems
Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3 billion already allocated by the end of last month, the council said.
Other major transportation projects are also progressing.
The Danjiang Bridge is scheduled to open in May, while the northern section of the Taoyuan Metro Green Line and the first phase of the Tainan Railway Underground Project are to begin operations by the end of the year, the council said.
In the energy sector, new gas-fired units at the Taichung and Hsinta power plants, along with second-phase offshore wind projects, are expected to be connected to the grid or dispatched between this month and November, it said.
Several cultural and public facility projects are also advancing.
The Taoyuan Museum of Fine Arts and the Southern Branch of the National Central Library are scheduled for completion by the end of this year, the council said.
In addition, a marine passenger center in Kinmen would begin operations next month, while new cruise terminals in Penghu County and Taitung are scheduled to open in September, it said.
The council also cited progress on the Ministry of Economic Affairs' "Capital Region Golden Corridor" initiative, which aims to bolster the industrial advantages of Taipei and New Taipei City, while boosting development in Keelung and Yilan.
The project is expected to drive regional revitalization through improved transportation infrastructure, the council said, calling for closer coordination between central and local governments to advance related developments.
Meanwhile, construction of standard factory buildings in Phase 3 of the Yilan Science Park (宜蘭科學園區) has been approved, the council said, adding that they are expected to generate 114,000 jobs.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
The first bluefin tuna of the season, brought to shore in Pingtung County and weighing 190kg, was yesterday auctioned for NT$10,600 (US$333.5) per kilogram, setting a record high for the local market. The auction was held at the fish market in Donggang Fishing Harbor, where the Siaoliouciou Island-registered fishing vessel Fu Yu Ching No. 2 delivered the “Pingtung First Tuna” it had caught for bidding. Bidding was intense, and the tuna was ultimately jointly purchased by a local restaurant and a local company for NT$10,600 per kilogram — NT$300 ,more than last year — for a total of NT$2.014 million. The 67-year-old skipper
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The bus operators would seek compensation and have demanded that the manufacturer replace the chips with ones that meet regulations Two bus operators found to be using buses with China-made chips are to demand that the original manufacturers replace the systems and provide compensation for breach of contract, the Veterans Affairs Council said yesterday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) yesterday said that Da Nan Bus Co and Shin-Shin Bus Co Ltd have fielded a total of 82 buses that are using Chinese chips. The bus models were made by Tron-E, while the systems provider was CYE Electronics, Lin said. Lin alleged that the buses were using chips manufactured by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon Co, which presents a national security risk if the