Taiwan's Kinmen Bridge opens to traffic on Oct. 30

台灣金門大橋10月30日通車

At 5.4 kilometers in length, Kinmen Bridge is 1st sea-crossing bridge in Taiwan


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Freeway Bureau on Wednesday (Oct. 26) announced that the much-anticipated Kinmen Bridge will open to traffic on Sunday (Oct. 30).

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the Freeway Bureau stated that work to ensure driving safety and the smooth operation of the bridge will be completed on Friday (Oct. 28) after a review by the bureau. Out of an abundance of caution, Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) on Tuesday (Oct. 25) again invited the Freeway Bureau and related departments to join a meeting to review and confirm the safety of the bridge, and the decision was made that it would be opened to the public on Sunday.

Starting on Monday (Oct. 24), on-site inspections were carried out on road drainage, transportation engineering, traffic control systems, electromechanical lighting, and other related projects. After a review by the bureau, the manufacturer, and the supervision unit, it was assessed that work affecting the opening of the bridge to traffic could be completed by Friday.

The bureau notified the Kinmen County Government of the results of the inspection and review of the facility on Tuesday.

Wang invited the bureau and related units to hold a video conference on Tuesday and listened to a briefing by the bureau to explain the results of the inspection and integrity of the facilities before the Kinmen Bridge's opening. After the bureau stated that the improvements could be completed by Friday, Wang ordered the Kinmen Bridge to be opened on Sunday in order to allow residents and visitors to enjoy the results and benefit from the national infrastructure project as soon as possible.

The Kinmen Bridge starts from Hupu Road in Lieyu Township on Lieyu in the west and runs to Cihu Road in Jinning Township on Kinmen Island in the east. The route is 5.4 kilometers in length, with about 4.77 kilometers built above the sea.

The project was first approved in 2010 and after going through two contractors and two revisions to the design, a third contractor took over the project in 2016. Over the following six years, the third contractor finished the remaining 70% of the work at a final cost of nearly NT$10 billion (US$310 million).