A new 150-meter road in Taoyuan's Pingzhen district opened this week, good news for local residents who have long dealt with a narrow, jammed lane.

• The link connects Pingdong Road Lane 239 to Hua'an Street, giving drivers an alternative route and shortening detours.
• The old lane was too narrow, backing up at rush hour and making it hard for fire trucks and ambulances to get through.
• The project cost about 12.6 million Taiwan dollars and also upgraded drainage, street lights, and underground pipes.
• A parking area and a YouBike station were added alongside the road, which Mayor Chang San-cheng and local officials tried out at the opening ceremony.

Outlook: Traffic pressure at peak hours should ease and emergency vehicles should reach the neighborhood faster.