By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — A key contract for National Freeway No. 7 (國道7號), the long-planned route meant to improve access to Kaohsiung Port, has reopened for bidding after an earlier tender failed to attract bidders.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications Freeway Bureau (交通部高速公路局) on Wednesday issued a second tender for the C705S Siaogang section (小港路段), with a budget of more than NT$17.9 billion.
The section is considered important because it is near the port end of the planned freeway, which is intended to improve freight movement and reduce congestion on National Freeway No. 1 and major roads in Greater Kaohsiung.
Another key port-side contract, the C706S Linhai Road section (臨海路段), was reissued for tender on January 19 after also failing to attract bidders. That contract is worth more than NT$21.2 billion but has not yet been awarded.
A third contract, the C703S Fongliao section (鳳寮路段), was first put out to tender on May 14 with a budget of more than NT$23.8 billion. It has also not yet been awarded.
The Freeway Bureau said in a June 29 news release that the National Freeway No. 7 Kaohsiung project is designed to ease traffic on National Freeway No. 1 and surrounding arterial roads while improving transport links to Kaohsiung Port.
The planned route is about 23 kilometers long and has a total budget of about NT$150.2 billion, the bureau said.
As of the end of June, about 80 percent of land acquisition by negotiated purchase had been completed, according to the bureau.
Construction on parts of the project is expected to begin in stages before the end of the year, Liberty Times reported.
