By Eryk Michael Smith / Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung City Councilor Lee Shun-jin, 市議員李順進, who represents the Cianjhen and Siaogang districts, is urging central authorities to accelerate progress on the planned National Freeway 7 (國道7號) project while ensuring traffic safety and fair compensation for affected landowners during the construction period. Freeway #7, also sometimes called the “Kaohsiung Port Eastern Access Freeway,” is a planned roughly 23-km north–south corridor linking the Renwu System Interchange to the Nansing terminal in Siaogang.
Lee noted in a post shared on social media that the freeway project received approval for plan revisions last year and is expected to begin construction as early as June. The project will be split into six major construction sections, with different contractors building each section at the same time. While supporting the project’s long-term benefits, he warned that inadequate traffic management during construction could severely disrupt mobility in Siaogang.
The new freeway is intended to divert heavy container trucks away from urban surface roads serving Kaohsiung Port and the Nansing reclamation area, but the years before it is done could be rough.
According to Lee, heavy vehicle traffic already accounts for roughly 30% to 40% of traffic volumes along Yan Hai Road (沿海路) and Jhongshan Road (中山路), while the proportion on Nansing Road (南星路) is estimated to reach 80%. He cautioned that once the sixth construction section begins along Yan Hai Road, additional construction trucks transporting materials for the Nansing land reclamation project will further strain the road network, potentially creating what he described as a “traffic dark period” for routes linking Siaogang to port areas.
The councilor urged the Kaohsiung City Government to relay local concerns to central authorities, emphasizing that residents support the freeway project but expect construction quality, traffic safety, and timely completion to be balanced. He said the goal should be to prevent severe congestion and safety risks during the works and to ultimately provide smoother and safer road conditions for Siaogang residents.
