Taipei City Government

Mayor Ko Wen-je presided over the sod-turning ceremony for the Chengong Bridge Lane Widening Project on October 26. He remarked that the construction involves expanding 4 two-way lanes into 6 two-way lanes and is slated for completion in August of 2019.
According to the mayor, the Chengong Bridge was completed in 1971. The 4-lane bridge has served commuters traveling between Nangang and Neihu. However, the fact that both ends of the bridge connect to 6-lane roads inevitably results in traffic congestion as vehicles cope with the narrower portion as they cross the river. Therefore, expanding the lanes on the bridge becomes necessary.
The total cost of the lane-widening project is NT$200 million. Other options reviewed during the planning phase include dismantling the current bridge and replacing it with a new one. However, the idea was deemed too costly due to the hefty price tag of NT$2.4 billion.
The current approach involves the seismic reinforcement of the bridge structure, allowing the bridge to withstand further use before proceeding to widening the lanes on the bridge’s surface to ensure a six-lane, through-traffic for commuters the entire way.
Responding to media questions about whether the project will cause further congestion for the bridge, the mayor noted that the situation will not get worse because 4-lane traffic will be maintained throughout the construction period.
Regarding the cost, the mayor pointed out that rather than spending NT$2.4 billion to replace the whole bridge, the current approach adds additional lanes and allows the bridge to serve commuters for another 2 decades.