FEATURE / Danjiang Bridge stirs optimism and concern along the Tamsui River

By Sunny Lai, CNA staff reporter

Editor's Note: This is part three of a three-part series on the design and construction challenges of New Taipei's Danjiang Bridge -- a new landmark spanning the mouth of the Tamsui River -- and mixed views on its potential to ease traffic and boost tourism.

• More than a landmark: Danjiang Bridge to reshape traffic on Taiwan's north coast

• Danjiang Bridge: How an "impossible" design becomes reality

As Taiwan prepares to open one of its most ambitious infrastructure projects, residents on both sides of the Tamsui River are weighing what the new Danjiang Bridge will bring -- relief from gridlock, an influx of tourists, or simply new traffic headaches.

Scheduled to open on May 12, the nearly one-kilometer-long bridge will link Tamsui and Bali districts in New Taipei across the Tamsui River estuary.

New Taipei, which envelops Taiwan's capital city of Taipei, is the island country's most populous municipality with just over 4 million residents.

Authorities say the new bridge will ease congestion and boost tourism, but locals and business owners remain divided.

Speaking with CNA, 47-year-old Jack Lin pointed to chronic traffic problems in the area on the city's western coast.

"Right now, Tamsui basically has only one way in and out, and it's always jammed," he said, referring to Provincial Highway 2 (PH2), the main route connecting Tamsui to Taipei, and adding that he hopes the bridge will allow traffic to split.

The route to Taipei is shared by residents of Danhai New Town in northern Tamsui and those living further south near the MRT Tamsui Station, including Lin himself, and is further burdened at the Guandu Bridge by traffic from Bali heading downtown.

Tamsui resident Lin Chien-ming (林建明) estimated that after the inauguration of the Danjiang Bridge, congestion on PH2 during peak hours could be shortened by at least 10 minutes, with traffic volumes reduced by around a quarter.

During the morning rush hour, a trip from the MRT Tamsui Station to the area near the Guandu Bridge can take 30 minutes to an hour, Lin Chien-ming said, based on his decade-long experience as a taxi driver, while Google Maps estimates show the same journey takes only about 6 to 16 minutes in the wee hours.

The Danjiang Bridge will also offer Tamsui residents an alternative route to the Guandu Bridge, which spans the Tamsui River upstream, when traveling to Bali or further onward to Taoyuan International Airport, he added.

Tourism boost

While some residents welcome the promise of smoother traffic, business owners are less certain that the bridge will translate into economic gains, even after Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said it could attract 24,000 to 25,000 visitors to Tamsui on holidays.

Jimmy Liao (廖志恆), owner of a dessert shop on Tamsui Old Street, told CNA that the new bridge may have only "a modest impact" on visitor numbers, as most tourists come from Taipei instead of Bali and they come by the MRT or by bus.

The MRT, or the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit, is the local equivalent of the New York subway on a much smaller scale.

The 52-year-old added that the bridge could benefit Bali more by encouraging tourists who planned to visit only Tamsui to cross the river.

Nearby, souvenir shop owner Mary Yen (顏瑪莉) took a more optimistic view.

She described the Danjiang Bridge as "a beautiful piece of architecture" that could become a destination in its own right.

"Just like people make a special trip to see Taipei 101, I believe they'll also come here for this [bridge]," she said.

The other side

Across the river in Bali, a district with a smaller population where tourism is less developed, some business owners worry that increased traffic could strain local roads.

Chang Hsiu-ling (張琇玲), whose family has run a doughnut shop on Bali Old Street since 1971, said the bridge could funnel more cars onto Provincial Highway 15, a four-lane road running south toward the Guandu Bridge, which connects PH2 to Taipei.

Chang, 53, said visitors are often advised to leave Bali by 5 p.m. before "the traffic here gets completely jammed" later in the evening.

While the bridge may make it easier for tourists to drive to Bali from Tamsui -- replacing the ferry, which only carries passengers and motorcycles -- she said severe congestion could ultimately discourage visits.

Others in Bali are less worried.

Johnson Huang (黃語超), a 30-year-old local who runs a lemon tea shop, said Bali's smaller population -- approximately 43,000 -- could help absorb additional traffic.

"Even if some of Tamsui's traffic is diverted here, it still won't get too congested," he said.

As the opening date approaches, the Danjiang Bridge has become more than a piece of infrastructure -- symbolizing both hope and uncertainty for communities long shaped by the flow of the Tamsui River.

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