DEFENSE/Key Taipei-New Taipei bridge to close briefly for Han Kuang drills

Taipei, July 10 (CNA) A key bridge linking Taipei and New Taipei will be temporarily closed next week for a military drill simulating efforts to prevent enemy forces from advancing into the capital, a source told CNA Wednesday as part of the ongoing Han Kuang exercises.

The Wanban Bridge (萬板大橋), connecting New Taipei's Banqiao District with Taipei's Wanhua District, will be fully closed to traffic from late July 14 to early July 15 for the first time during the live-fire portion of the Han Kuang exercises, the source said.

Military and police will use roadblocks to set up spot-check sites, simulating efforts to prevent enemy forces from nearby New Taipei City from advancing into Taipei, home to the Presidential Office Building, Taipei Main Station and other key locations, the source said.

Similar bridge-defense drills have been conducted in previous Han Kuang exercises, but this year marks the first time a bridge connecting the two northern cities will be fully closed to traffic. Previously, some traffic was still allowed during these drills.

For the first time, military engineering troops will use HESCO bastions -- modern, collapsible barriers made of wire mesh and fabric -- during the exercise. Originally designed for flood control and military fortifications, these barriers speed up the construction of temporary defenses and were used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More details on the full closure of Wanban Bridge for the drill will be announced soon by the Taipei City Police Department, the source added.

Taiwan's longest-ever live-fire phase of the annual Han Kuang military exercises officially began Wednesday, with a special focus on countering China's "gray zone" tactics.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the 10-day, nine-night Han Kuang exercises running through July 18 are twice as long as previous live-fire drills, which typically lasted five days and four nights.

Since 1984, the annual Han Kuang exercises have served as Taiwan's major war games, combining live-fire drills and computerized tabletop simulations to test combat readiness against a possible Chinese invasion.

This year's tabletop war games were conducted from April 5 to April 18.