By KHT Staff. AI illustration image.
KAOHSIUNG — A footbridge under construction between Guoling Nature Park (果嶺自然公園) and Chengcing Lake (澄清湖) will give visitors a pedestrian connection across busy Songyi Road (松藝路). Work on the crossing will require the road to close overnight for three consecutive nights beginning Oct. 6.
According to the Public Works Bureau’s Sept. 30 notice, Songyi Road will be closed to vehicles from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning on the nights of Oct. 6, 7 and 8. The final closure ends at 6 a.m. on Oct. 9. Traffic personnel will control access at the intersections with Yuanshan Road (圓山路) and Bade South Road (八德南路).
The bridge will extend westward from Chengcing Lake’s Maze Garden (迷宮花園) into Guoling Nature Park. The New Construction Office’s project description puts its total length at approximately 180 meters, comprising a 60-meter span across Songyi Road and a 120-meter approach on the lake side. It will be 3.5 meters wide. Construction began Jan. 20.
Liberty Times reported that the project costs NT$88.8 million and that crews are aiming to finish in October despite disruption from heavy rain in August. However, the New Construction Office’s project page, updated Sept. 24, lists scheduled completion as Nov. 26. Neither date should be treated as a confirmed opening date.
The city says the crossing will allow visitors to move between the two parks without entering Songyi Road’s traffic. In an earlier explanation of the design, the New Construction Office said the bridge would blend into surrounding trees and form part of a walking network connecting Chengcing Lake, Guoling Nature Park and Shuanghu Forest Park (雙湖森林公園).
Some civic groups had proposed a street-level crossing with traffic lights, crosswalks and pedestrian refuge islands instead. The office argued that this would cause congestion and require a longer walking route. It said trees affected by construction would be transplanted within the lake grounds.
During the overnight closures, the bureau recommends the following diversions:
- From the Renwu (仁武) side: Wenqian Road (文前路) to Huanhu Road (環湖路), or Renyong Road (仁勇路) to Renci Road (仁慈路).
- From the Niaosong (鳥松) side: Yuanshan Road to Chengcing Road (澄清路), or Qiuchang Road (球場路) to Dachang Road (大昌路).
The bureau said work was scheduled during overnight off-peak hours because Songyi Road is an important connection between Sanmin (三民), Niaosong, and Renwu districts. Drivers can consult the official closure notice and diversion map before traveling.
