By Alen Chang
KAOHSIUNG — The Kaohsiung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau marked a major milestone with construction beginning on the main structural components of the Yellow Line’s Y16 station.
Bureau Director Wu Chia-chang (吳嘉昌) oversaw the “first cut” of the station’s diaphragm wall excavation and the subsequent concrete pouring.
The procedure signals the official transition of the Yellow Line project into its primary structural construction phase.
A diaphragm wall (also called a slurry wall) is a high-strength, reinforced concrete wall built from the ground down. It is a “wall before a hole”—meaning the wall is constructed deep into the earth before the soil inside is excavated to create a basement or subway station.
This technique is essential for projects like the Kaohsiung MRT Yellow Line because it allows engineers to build massive underground structures in crowded cities without causing the surrounding ground to collapse or damaging nearby buildings.
City officials say robust traffic management measures will be taken on Chengcing Road (澄清路) to ensure both project quality and the safety of the surrounding public.
