Construction has started on the elevated section of Taoyuan's Green Line metro extension into Zhongli, the piece that finally closes the city's rail loop — good news for commuters, though the payoff is years away.

• The 7.1-kilometer extension will cost NT$36.1 billion and run from the existing G01 station to Zhongli train station.
• It links the Green Line with the Airport MRT at A23, turning Taoyuan's separate lines into a connected ring.
• Riders get easier access to the city hospital, and the school zone around Futai Elementary gets safer streets.
• The turnkey contract bundles three jobs at once: a depot holding at least 15 trains, the elevated bridge section, and a new 2.7-kilometer road.
• The electrical and mechanical contract for the same stretch has already been awarded, keeping the project on schedule.

Outlook: Only 829 meters of the new road will be built under this contract, with the rest tendered alongside future metro packages.