New Taipei City is speeding up work on the Danbei Road linking Tamsui and Taipei, welcome news for commuters stuck in traffic every day.

• After inspecting the construction site, New Taipei Mayor Hou Yu-ih instructed the project team to push for opening the main line first in June 2029.
• The road runs 5.45 kilometres in total, connecting Danjin Road in Tamsui to Dadu Road in Beitou, with the aim of easing congestion between Tamsui and Taipei.
• Full completion was originally scheduled for December 2029, but the city government has called for clearing underground pipeline obstacles ahead of schedule and adjusting the sequence of works to speed up progress.
• With construction running right alongside major arterial roads, maintaining traffic flow is the biggest challenge, and pipeline relocation on the Taipei City section is being carried out in phases.
• The Tamkang Bridge opened in May this year, and once the Danbei Road is complete, the drive from Tamsui to Taipei could be shortened considerably.

Outlook: The crash barriers on the Danjin elevated bridge and the bridge piers on Minquan Road are expected to be finished by the end of this year; whether the opening can be brought forward hinges on the pace of pipeline relocation.