Danjiang Bridge temporarily closed as typhoon precaution

Taipei, July 11 (CNA) The newly opened Danjiang Bridge in New Taipei was closed Friday night as a safety precaution as Typhoon Bavi approached and will likely reopen on Sunday.

According to a Highway Bureau news release, the bridge's pedestrian and bicycle path and motorcycle lane were closed at 8 p.m., followed by the main roadway and bus lane at 11 p.m.

Motorists traveling between Tamsui and Bali districts should instead use the Guandu Bridge as an alternative, the bureau said.

Although the Danjiang Bridge was designed to withstand the winds of a strong typhoon, it was closed off as a precaution to ensure safety because sudden strong gusts of wind are common at the mouth of the Tamsui River where the bridge is located, the bureau said.

Earlier Friday, Transportation Minister Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) said during a visit to the landmark bridge that it was expected to reopen on Sunday.

Chen said the approaching storm will be the first typhoon the bridge has faced since officially opening to traffic on May 12.

The nearly 1-kilometer-long Danjiang Bridge, designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid, is the world's longest single-mast asymmetric cable-stayed bridge and has been described by officials as a new international landmark for Taiwan.