Heavy traffic forecast Jan. 29-Feb. 2 during Lunar New Year holiday

Taipei, Jan. 24 (CNA) Heavy traffic on Taiwan's freeway system is forecast from Jan. 29-Feb. 2 during the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday, although the holiday officially starts on Saturday, according to the Freeway Bureau.

Traffic conditions appeared smooth Friday evening, except on select sections including those in northern parts of the freeway system with the average car speed below 40 kilometers per hour, as the prolonged holiday has led many drivers not to leave as soon as they finished their last work day before the holiday, the bureau said.

Traffic is expected to stay good for the four days before Jan. 29, the first day of the first month of the Year of the Snake, with many in the country likely to kick off their travel plans on that day, the bureau added.

According to the bureau, southbound traffic is expected to be heaviest from Jan. 29 to Jan. 31, with the volume set to hit a peak of 71 million vehicles per kilometer (mvk) on Jan. 31 on the western section of the road network, about 150 percent higher than on a normal day.

Northbound traffic is expected to be heaviest from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, with a peak likely to be seen on Feb. 1, with traffic volume on the western section estimated at 76 mvk, about 160 percent higher than on a normal day, the bureau said.

As for both southbound and northbound freeways in the west, the peak is expected on Jan. 31 with traffic estimated at 139 million vehicles per km, about 150 percent higher than on a normal day, the bureau added.

On Freeway No. 5, peak traffic on the southbound section is expected on Jan. 29, while the peak on the northbound section is set for Feb. 2, the last day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the bureau said.

The bureau has announced traffic controls from Jan. 29-Feb. 2, including entrance ramp closures planned for 5 a.m. to noon from Jan. 29 to 31 to control traffic volume through traffic signals, while the ramp closures will be in place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.

The bureau has also imposed high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) controls from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 for ramps on the northbound section between Xiaying in Tainan and Toufen in Miaoli on Freeway No. 1, and for ramps on the northbound section between Guantian in Tainan and Zhunan in Miaoli on Freeway No. 3.

The HOV controls have been also imposed on ramps in Suao, Luodong, Yilan and Toucheng on the northbound section of Freeway No. 5 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Jan. 30 to Feb. 2.