By KHT Staff. Green line shows new Route 17. AI illustration image, not to scale.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung’s New Route 17 (新台17線) remains scheduled to open to traffic at the end of October, nine years after construction began, the city government said.
The 7.3-kilometer coastal connector runs from Dianchang Road (典昌路) in Ciaotou District (橋頭區) to the South Gate roundabout (南門圓環) in Zuoying District (左營區).
Once fully open, the route is projected to shorten the drive between Ciaotou and Zuoying by about 2.6 kilometers and save approximately 15 minutes. It is also expected to divert 30% to 50% of traffic from the existing Route 17 corridor along Cuihua Road (翠華路) and Zuoying Avenue (左營大路), according to earlier reporting by Liberty Times. These figures are estimates of the completed road’s benefits.
The latest confirmation follows scrutiny of audit findings concerning the first phase of the southern section, between Demin Road (德民路) and Jhonghai Road (中海路).
The audit identified issues involving ecological restoration, construction supervision staffing, work quantities that did not match contract requirements, and deterioration of some guardrail and drainage-channel concrete surfaces, according to the Public Works Bureau’s statement.
The bureau’s construction office said all identified deficiencies had been corrected. It also said recent periods of heavy rain had not caused the drainage damage or ground erosion raised as concerns, and inspections would continue.
The project includes 1.18 hectares of green space along the route. Existing trees were retained or transplanted where possible, with additional trees, shrubs and grass planted to connect nearby green spaces and reduce the environmental fragmentation caused by the road, the office said.
An exact opening date has not yet been specified in the announcement.
