Demolition of Taipei’s Gongguan roundabout draws protests

台北市公館圓環拆除工程引發抗議

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei began demolishing the traffic roundabout and underpass in the Gongguan neighborhood on Saturday, drawing crowds of residents to protest.

Long labeled one of Taiwan’s most dangerous intersections, the site at Roosevelt Road and Keelung Road has been slated for redesign for years, with the demolition date announced in late August. Some local residents gathered to oppose the project, citing insufficient communication from the city government, per UDN.

Protesters assembled from 7 p.m. until after midnight to criticize Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) administration for expected disruptions. The Zero Pedestrian Death Promotion Alliance, which helped organize the protest, called for a halt to construction, per CNA.

Civic groups and students from nearby National Taiwan University urged the city to preserve the roundabout and pursue a pedestrian-friendlier redesign. Protesters held signs reading “Oppose Forced Demolition!” and demanded a new round of talks with planners.

As part of a 2025 traffic-safety campaign, Taipei said the roundabout and underpass will be converted into a wider perpendicular intersection. While work proceeds over the next few months, the city will deploy additional police to maintain safe traffic flow.

Trucks carrying gravel to fill the underpass began work at 11:35 p.m. Saturday amid a heavy police presence to redirect traffic and keep order, per CNA. The first phase is slated to last 44 days and will fill and seal the passage in layers during off-peak hours.

A second phase, planned for 21 days, will remove the above-ground roundabout and pave the new intersection.