By KHT Staff. Original reporting by 我是高雄人.
KAOHSIUNG — Questions are growing over whether Kaohsiung’s rebuilt Jiuru Bridge (九如橋) can open on schedule, after city officials said the project was about 65% complete as of March 19, leaving roughly 35% of the work to be finished in just over three months.
The bridge, which links Neiwei (內惟) in Gushan District (鼓山區) with Zhongdu (中都) in Sanmin District (三民區), is scheduled to open by the end of June.
The reconstruction project, with a reported budget of about NT$568 million, became a focus of criticism at the Kaohsiung City Council. Councilor Jian Huan-zong (簡煥宗) said the timeline appeared overly optimistic, arguing that the remaining work would have to move at a much faster pace than earlier stages of construction.
Jian also criticized what he described as confusing road closure information during the project, saying even local neighborhood chiefs had struggled to keep track of changing traffic routes.
Public Works Bureau Director-General Yang Chin-fu (楊欽富) pushed back on those concerns, saying most of the bridge’s main structural work has already been completed and that the remaining items mainly involve auxiliary facilities and finishing work. Based on the current pace, he said, the city still expects the bridge to be completed and opened to traffic by the end of June.
The project has also raised concerns beyond construction timing. Jian warned that the surrounding area could face a higher risk of flooding during heavy rain because the light rail corridor and greenway nearby sit higher than adjacent roads and residential zones. He suggested that Longcheng Park (龍城公園), which is being planned as a pet park, should also incorporate sunken water detention features to help reduce flooding pressure in the neighborhood.
