By RK Shih/Staff. Additional material from 我是高雄人.
KAOHSIUNG — The Kaohsiung City Government says it has completed safety improvements at the five-way intersection of Jhongjheng 2nd Road (中正二路), Wufu 1st Road (五福一路), and Kaisyuan 2nd Road (凱旋二路) in Lingya District (苓雅區), a junction long known for heavy traffic and a complicated layout.
According to the city, the redesign includes a pedestrian refuge island, widened sidewalk space, and lane adjustments intended to improve both traffic flow and pedestrian safety. Officials said the intersection became especially difficult after changes following the removal of the former Taiwan Railways crossing barrier left a pedestrian crossing of more than 40 meters.
The Transportation Bureau (交通局) said one of the main changes is a dedicated through lane for motorcycles and slow vehicles traveling from Jhongjheng toward Wufu. Under the revised layout, traffic heading toward Jhongjheng is directed to keep right, while traffic heading toward Wufu is directed left. The city said the change is meant to reduce conflicts caused by overcrowding in the previous motorcycle waiting area and by overlapping turning movements at the intersection.
The project drew renewed public attention after being highlighted by the Facebook page 我是高雄人, though the factual basis for this report comes from city government statements. The bureau said the work was carried out jointly by the Transportation Bureau and the Public Works Bureau’s Road Maintenance Office (工務局道路養護工程處).
