Lantian Elementary School, a new NT$1.07 billion campus near Kaohsiung University, is scheduled to open Aug. 31. The city said Lantian is Taiwan’s first elementary school built entirely with a steel structure. Construction was completed in less than two years.

Chen also asked the Transportation Bureau, Mass Rapid Transit Bureau, and Police Department to strengthen traffic control around the site, including nearby roads, public transport links, and parking areas. The city said the goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, and smooth visitor experience for people coming from across Taiwan.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said Thursday the original railings were “ugly” and embarrassing, but said the bridge’s construction quality and safety met standards. Chen said the city would continue making adjustments and should accept public criticism of public works projects.

Eleven bus routes serving Fongshan Transfer Station (鳳山轉運站) will change stops or routes from Aug. 1 because of construction linked to the MRT O13 Dadong Station (大東站) joint development project, the Kaohsiung Transportation Bureau said.

Kaohsiung’s rebuilt Jiuru Bridge (九如橋) has drawn criticism online after residents compared the nearly finished bridge with earlier project renderings, according to a report in the China Times.

The Cabinet on Thursday outlined a rail development plan aimed at cutting travel time between Kaohsiung and Taitung to about 90 minutes, with a proposed high-speed rail extension through central Kaohsiung to Pingtung forming a key part of the project.

Construction crews have begun removing underground foundation piles left from the former Zihciang Overpass in Fongshan District, as work continues on the Kaohsiung MRT Yellow Line. The city said crews will use casing equipment to cut and pull out the old piles, a method intended to reduce noise, vibration, and dust.

As of early July, the second phase of the Gangshan-Lujhu extension (岡山路竹延伸線) was 28.53% complete, 2.94 percentage points ahead of schedule. The Yellow Line was 12.71% complete, 1.64 percentage points ahead of schedule, while the Siaogang-Linyuan Line (小港林園線) was 15.43% complete, 1.9 percentage points ahead of schedule.

The rebuilt Jiuru Bridge (九如橋) is expected to open to traffic July 31, with final construction work now underway, the Kaohsiung Public Works Bureau said.

At least six major malls or landmark retail projects are expected to open in Kaohsiung over the next five years, as transport-oriented development and high-tech investment reshape the city’s commercial map, the Commercial Times reported. The new projects are expected to shift Kaohsiung’s department store market away from traditional single-district shopping areas and toward a multi-center model built around rail and MRT hubs.