Taipei to replace Gongguan roundabout with controlled intersection

Taipei, March 25 (CNA) The Taipei City government plans to remove the Gongguan roundabout, a site of frequent traffic accidents, and replace it with a four-way intersection with traffic signals, Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said Tuesday.

In a social media post, Chiang said the roundabout at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Keelung Road had been the city's number 1 spot for accidents every year since 2018.

The roundabout's design has created a heightened risk of accidents for cars and motorcycles, while also being difficult and dangerous to cross for pedestrians, Chiang said.

According to Chiang, the Taipei Department of Transportation originally planned to redesign the intersection while maintaining an underground lane for buses, but ultimately reconsidered, due to the network of air wells and water pumping systems inside the roundabout and water supply lines under the road.

As a result, the department made the decision to "fill in" the underground bus lane, and instead designate a bus-only lane at ground level, Chiang said.

Chiang acknowledged that the construction process would be "difficult," since both Roosevelt and Keelung roads see a high volume of traffic during the morning and evening rush hours.

He said he had asked the transportation and public works departments to plan the construction and timing so as to reduce the impact on city residents to the maximum extent possible.

In a separate post, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) highlighted the complexity of the current roundabout's design, noting that it has vehicles entering from seven different directions and an overpass above it.

The city government is planning to authorize draft plans for the construction project on Monday, and will also begin budgeting the funds needed to carry it out, Lee said.