Incident-hit elevated highway reopened to traffic

New Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) The elevated section of Provincial Highway 1 from New Taipei's Sanchong District to Taipei has reopened to traffic following an accident involving a steel beam on Tuesday morning.

One of the two lanes of the accident-hit highway reopened for traffic at around 11 a.m. after obstacles were removed, Sanchong police said.

Also read: Elevated highway closed in New Taipei due to heavy steel beam incident

Earlier in the day, a massive steel beam fell off a flatbed trailer on the Taipei-bound elevated section of Provincial Highway 1 in Sanchong District, causing severe traffic congestion and forcing authorities to close the road and redirect vehicles.

The steel beam partially broke through the guardrail and damaged parts of the highway after it fell off the flatbed trailer that was transporting it.

Although the heavy steel beam did not fall down to the ground from the elevated highway, debris nonetheless hit two vehicles that were parked below, according to the police.

The police also said the accident caused damage stretching around 15 meters along the length of the road, and the driver was not under the influence of alcohol when driving.

Cheng Li-hui (鄭立輝), head of the New Taipei Maintenance Office, said that in a preliminary assessment to the damaged road, the impact of the fallen steel beam caused no major structural issues.

However, there are holes and exploded steel bars on the affected elevated road, Cheng said, expecting that it would take about two months to repair.