Heavy traffic expected over the weekend

PLAN AHEAD: With traffic volume predicted to reach 106 to 112 million vehicle-kilometers, the freeway bureau advised travelers to avoid peak congestion times

• By Shelley Shan / Staff Reporter

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The nation’s freeways are expected to see heavy traffic during the three-day Taiwan Retrocession Day weekend, with travel demand expected to be driven mainly by tourism, the National Freeway Bureau said yesterday.

Traffic volume is forecast to reach 106 million to 112 million vehicle-kilometers (mvk) during the holiday, with southbound traffic on the first day expected to reach 61mvk, or 1.3 times regular traffic.

The bureau yesterday released a list of highway sections and time periods expected to experience congestion, based on traffic data from recent holidays, including the Mid-Autumn Festival, Teachers’ Day and the Double Ten National holiday, as well as last year’s Taiwan Retrocession Day.

Vehicles travel along highways in Taipei on Oct. 10.

Photo: CNA

On the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1), traffic between Yangmei (楊梅) and Toufen (頭份) interchanges is expected to be congested from 8am to 3pm on Saturday and from 9am to noon on Sunday.

On the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway (Freeway No. 5), heavy traffic is expected between the Nangang System and Toucheng (頭城) from 6am to 4pm on Saturday and from 6am to 3pm on Sunday.

Other expected congestion spots include Formosa Freeway (Freeway No. 3) between the Guansi (關西) and Dasi (大溪) Interchanges, Freeway No. 5 between the Yilan and Pinglin (坪林) Interchanges, and Freeway No. 1 between the Changhua (彰化) and Puyan (埔鹽) Interchanges.

For northbound traffic, the bureau expects congestion on Freeway No. 1 between Siluo (西螺) and the Puyan System from 4pm to 6pm on Saturday and 4pm to 8pm on Monday. Freeway No. 3 between Caotun (草屯) and Wufeng (霧峰) is also expected to be congested during those periods.

The bureau advised southbound travelers on Saturday and Sunday to depart before 6am or after 12pm when using Freeways No. 1 and No. 3, while those using Freeway No. 3 should leave before 5am or after 5pm.

For northbound travelers on Sunday and Monday next week, those in southern Taiwan should depart before 9am, while travelers in central Taiwan should leave before noon. Freeway No. 5 users are also advised to depart before 9am.