Browsing: Kaohsiung transportation

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said Thursday the original railings were “ugly” and embarrassing, but said the bridge’s construction quality and safety met standards. Chen said the city would continue making adjustments and should accept public criticism of public works projects.

The Kaohsiung District Court found that the barrier had reportedly been in place since 1989. It also found that police had handled about 70 reports, complaints, and traffic incidents in the surrounding area over the previous five years, but had still not removed it.

By KHT Staff. Images via 柯志恩 Facebook page. KAOHSIUNG — KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en (柯志恩) on Tuesday proposed…

The bridge drew criticism in recent days after residents said the red railings along the bridge deck resembled Japanese torii gates. Others raised safety concerns, saying the gaps between the railings appeared too wide. The city’s New Construction Office said the open railing design was chosen to preserve views of the Love River, but contractors have since repainted the railings white and started installing protective netting.

The Cabinet on Thursday outlined a rail development plan aimed at cutting travel time between Kaohsiung and Taitung to about 90 minutes, with a proposed high-speed rail extension through central Kaohsiung to Pingtung forming a key part of the project.

Construction crews have begun removing underground foundation piles left from the former Zihciang Overpass in Fongshan District, as work continues on the Kaohsiung MRT Yellow Line. The city said crews will use casing equipment to cut and pull out the old piles, a method intended to reduce noise, vibration, and dust.

As of early July, the second phase of the Gangshan-Lujhu extension (岡山路竹延伸線) was 28.53% complete, 2.94 percentage points ahead of schedule. The Yellow Line was 12.71% complete, 1.64 percentage points ahead of schedule, while the Siaogang-Linyuan Line (小港林園線) was 15.43% complete, 1.9 percentage points ahead of schedule.

Light rail ridership exceeded 7.21 million trips during the first half of 2026, rising from 6.66 million during the same period last year, according to Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp. The total was also higher than the 6.58 million passenger trips recorded during the first six months of 2024.

For the long term, Lai said the city should evaluate a 24-hour offshore airport near the waters off the Nansing Project Area (南星計畫區). He said an offshore site could reduce the effect of nighttime takeoffs and landings on urban neighborhoods while supporting international cargo and long-haul routes.

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.