00:00This construction work has been going on for years, but soon the new Danjang Bridge will open, and nearby residents can't wait.
00:30Mr. Wu is one of tens of thousands of new Taipei commuters who regularly get stuck at a notorious traffic bottleneck further up the Danxuei River, the Guangdu Bridge.
00:42During peak hours, traffic slows to a crawl.
00:53Danjang will be one of the largest bridges of its type on the planet,
00:56one of the last projects of late-renowned Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid,
01:02designed asymmetrically so its lone 70-story-tall concrete pylon placed on its eastern side doesn't obscure sunsets.
01:10Now, the Danjang Bridge will have four traffic lanes, a bicycle lane and a pedestrian lane,
01:16as well as a light rail lane installed later connecting Bali District to the rest of the Taipei metro system.
01:22So what does that mean?
01:24That means that if you live over there in Bali, this one-kilometer span of bridge is going to take about 15 kilometers off of your commute if you're heading into Taipei.
01:32In total, that should be 25 minutes one way.
01:36The daily challenge of traveling between Danxuei and Bali is all too familiar to the people building this bridge.
01:42But once it's done, they say traffic will be smoother.
01:45And while Danjang Bridge is a practical addition to the cityscape, local residents say it's an aesthetic one as well.
02:04Transportation authorities say the bridge is on track to open on May 12th,
02:18the end of its construction and the beginning of a new chapter for local commuters.
02:23Andy Scherer and Brynn Thomas for Taiwan Plus.
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