Tens of thousands of commuters in New Taipei are set to see significantly shorter travel times when the Danjiang Bridge opens in May, easing congestion at the Guandu Bridge upstream and directly connecting Tamsui and Bali for the first time.
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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