Traffic restrictions to be in place on Taipei streets for arts event

Taipei, Sept. 2 (CNA) Traffic restrictions will be imposed on Jihe Road and surrounding roads in Taipei's Shilin District from Sept. 4-6 to accommodate the "Trois éléphants passent ..." street performance this weekend, the Taipei City Police Department said Wednesday.

Roadside parking spaces and scooter and bicycle parking spaces on sidewalks along Jihe Road between Zhongzheng Road and Wenlin Road, as well as those on Lane 240, Jihe Road, will be cleared and closed from 4 p.m. Friday, the designated preparation day, through midnight Monday, the police said in a news release.

During a rehearsal scheduled from midnight to 2 a.m. Saturday, the section of Jihe Road between Zhongzheng Road and Lane 240, Jihe Road, as well as Lane 240, will be closed to traffic. Other sections will remain open to regular traffic.

On Saturday and Sunday, traffic restrictions will be imposed on the Jihe Road section between Zhongzheng Road and Wenlin Road from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. During that period, only residents, vehicles carrying temporary passes and vehicles serving event booths will be allowed to pass through an emergency access route.

From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., when the performance is scheduled to take place, the road section will be completely closed to all vehicles. Traffic is expected to resume at 9 p.m., when the performance is scheduled to end, the police said.

The "Trois éléphants passent ..." performance is part of the Taipei Arts Festival and will be presented by French troupe Compagnie Oposito. The performance will feature a parade from Shilin Night Market to the Taipei Performing Arts Center, with three large mechanical elephants serving as its centerpiece.