Opening of Shengji Tunnel cuts travel time: ministry

A new tunnel connecting Zhongxiao E Road with an access road to the National Biotechnology Research Park in Nangang District (南港) opened yesterday, significantly reducing travel time, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement.

A ceremony was held yesterday morning for the opening of the Shengji Tunnel, which is expected to ease traffic congestion during peak hours on Zhongxiao E Road Sec 7 and Academia Road, while also cutting travel time between Nangang and New Taipei City’s Sijhih District (汐止), Deputy Minister of the Interior Wu Tang-an (吳堂安) said in the statement.

The research park’s development has led to business and employment growth in Nangang, generating greater demand for transportation infrastructure in the area, including the construction of the central-government funded NT$1.878 billion (US$59.07 million) tunnel, Wu said.

The entrance to the Shengji Tunnel in Taipei’s Nangang is pictured in an undated photograph.

Photo: Taipei Times

The new route removes a traffic bottleneck between Zhongxiao E Road Sec 7 and Lane 130, Academia Road Sec 1, and connects the biotechnology park with Taiwan Railway’s and Taipei Metro’s Nangang stations and surrounding residential areas, he said.

Aside from reducing travel time for local residents and commuters, the tunnel provides an alternative route if Academia Road is closed due to flooding or other emergencies, he said, adding that it includes a separate pedestrian and bicycle path.

The research park covers 14.19 hectares and houses several institutions, including Academia Sinica’s Biomedical Translation Research Center and the Food and Drug Administration.

Academia Sinica said in a statement that the new route is about 824m long, including a tunnel section of about 716m.

Academia Sinica President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), who attended the opening ceremony, said that the tunnel would not only ease traffic around the park, but further support the development of a biomedical research and biotechnology corridor in Nangang.

More than 2,600 researchers and other professionals are based at the park, which opened in October 2018, Academia Sinica said.

The new tunnel provides a more convenient route between the research park and the area around Nangang Station, reducing travel time from about 15 to 20 minutes during peak hours to less than 10 minutes, it said.