Ridership at 10 light rail stations near tourist attractions rose 10.69% through September. The OhBear-themed train will continue operating through Oct. 11.

Five MRT construction contracts won engineering quality awards, including work on the Siaogang–Linyuan and Gangshan–Lujhu extensions and the Yellow Line. Two Yellow Line contracts also received occupational health and safety honors.

Banana Pier’s restoration, four pedestrian improvement projects and three recreation-space projects were among the public works honored at this year’s City Engineering Quality Gold Awards. The city reported 51 recognized projects overall.

A new footbridge will connect Guoling Nature Park and Chengcing Lake across Songyi Road. Construction will close the road from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. for three nights beginning Oct. 6, with drivers advised to use alternative routes.

The new Highway 17 route linking Ciaotou and Zuoying is expected to open by late October. The city projects the 7.3-kilometer road will cut driving time by about 15 minutes and ease traffic on the existing route.

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai says a preliminary feasibility report is ready for a proposed 24-hour international airport, though no site, budget or timetable has been disclosed.

Known as the Zhongzheng Gate (中正哨), the old entrance stands near the intersection of Zhongzheng Road (中正路) and Jieshou Road (介壽路). It dates to around 1950, shortly after the naval command moved to Zuoying. Once the navy has transferred operations to the new gate, the city plans to incorporate the old site into the road project. The new section of Highway 17 is scheduled to open in late October, according to the report.

Tainan’s scheduled Oct. 18 shift to underground tracks highlights why Taiwan’s cities have chosen different solutions for separating railways from street traffic.

Kaohsiung’s projection-equipped OhBear light rail train will offer moonlit coastal and marine scenes through Oct. 7.

Kaohsiung is studying an 18.3-kilometer MRT Green Line through five eastern districts, but the project has no approved budget or construction schedule and could take decades to complete.