Browsing: Kaohsiung transportation

The proposed stop is part of the city’s plan to extend railway grade-separation work toward Ciaotou (橋頭) and Daliao (大寮). The broader project is expected to cost more than NT$100 billion and includes two proposed commuter stations: TSMC Station and Ciaotou Qingpu Station (橋頭青埔站).

The United Daily News reported that Taichung’s Blue Line has not yet begun main civil construction, but its original budget of NT$161.5 billion is no longer sufficient. The Taichung Mass Rapid Transit Bureau estimates that the project may require nearly NT$100 billion more to complete the 11 underground stations.

The project aimed to facilitate transfers between HSR and the Kaohsiung Metro. Passengers currently have to travel from the HSR platform level to the second-floor concourse, exit the station, then use escalators to reach the MRT station underground. The transfer can take nearly 10 minutes.

The bridge began as a temporary railway bridge built in 2009 during Kaohsiung’s railway undergrounding project. After trains were moved underground in 2018, the tracks and overhead wires were removed, and the structure was converted into a riverside landscape bridge in 2021. Its planned removal now shows how the THSR extension is not just a regional transportation project, but a major urban construction challenge for Kaohsiung.

The proposal argues that after leaving THSR Zuoying Station (高鐵左營站), the line could follow the Provincial Highway 17 (台17線) corridor, reducing land acquisition difficulties while improving commuting access for Cianjhen (前鎮), Siaogang (小港), and Linyuan (林園)…it also called for a new THSR station in the Asia New Bay Area, possibly at the former 205 Arsenal site, saying it could bring high-speed rail into southern Kaohsiung’s core and support 5G AIoT industries and corporate headquarters.

The city says the plan includes not only shortening the duration of red lights at individual intersections, but also utilizing smart traffic control systems that will adjust entire road corridors to reduce waiting times while maintaining coordinated traffic flow on major roads.

Running through the end of December 2026, the initiative is scheduled to provide an estimated 490 free sessions during work breaks and between shifts to combat the physical stress and shoulder injuries associated with long driving hours. Municipal authorities stated the project serves a dual purpose by improving driver concentration as a measure of preventive safety while simultaneously creating stable employment opportunities for visually impaired professionals.