North-South Freeway 7 will bypass busy city areas and connect to the port, meaning fewer large trucks on Freeway 1. Officials say the 23-kilometer route will open to traffic before the end of 2030.
By RK Shih/Staff
Infrastructure and Investment
The NT$135.79 billion project will cut a new corridor across Kaohsiung, linking Freeway 10 through Dashe, Renwu, Niaosong, Daliao, Fengshan, Xiaogang, and Linyuan, and connecting directly to the Intercontinental Container Terminal. Planners argue the freeway will reduce congestion on Freeway 1 and Highway 88, while forming part of an “East Kaohsiung Expressway Ring” that also includes Freeway 10 and the planned Kaohsiung–Pingtung Second Expressway.
Industrial Linkages
Deputy Mayor Lin Chin-jung described the project as central to Kaohsiung’s economic transition. The route is designed to tie together key industrial zones—Hefa, Dafa, Linyuan, and Renwu—as well as the city’s semiconductor corridor and Kaohsiung Science Park. With Taiwan’s largest port handling more than 10 million containers annually, the freeway is expected to improve logistics and keep heavy truck traffic out of urban neighborhoods.
Anticipated Impact
Traffic models project a 14–24 percent drop in vehicle flow on Freeway 1 within the city, a 29 percent reduction on Freeway 10 between Renwu and Dingjin, and about 30 percent less congestion on Highway 88 near Fengshan. Officials say diverting cargo traffic will also reduce accident risks and improve travel speeds on Highways 1 and 17.
Real Estate Response
Developers have already priced in the expected boost. Apartments near the planned Dapingding interchange are selling for NT$20–29 million, while units around Fengliao list at NT$320,000–370,000 per ping. Zhongzhuang sits slightly lower, at NT$270,000–290,000. In Renwu, presale prices reach NT$330,000–380,000, with smaller units topping NT$400,000 per ping. City planners say the project is more than a transport upgrade. It is meant to reinforce Kaohsiung’s position as an industrial and shipping hub, improve supply chain efficiency, and anchor long-term economic growth in southern Taiwan.
