Shengji Tunnel in Taipei's Nangang opens, cutting travel time

Taipei, Sept. 28 (CNA) A ceremony was held Monday to mark the opening of the new Shengji Tunnel, which connects Zhongxiao East Road with an access road to the National Biotechnology Research Park (NBRP) in Nangang District, significantly reducing travel time.

In a statement, Deputy Interior Minister Wu Tang-an (吳堂安) said the new route is expected to ease traffic congestion during peak hours on Zhongxiao East Road Section 7 and Academia Road, while also cutting travel time between Nangang and New Taipei's Xizhi District.

Wu said the NBRP's development has led to business and employment growth in Nangang, generating greater demand for transportation infrastructure in the area, including the construction of the central-government funded NT$1.878 billion (US$59.07 million) tunnel.

The new route removes a traffic bottleneck between Section 7 of Zhongxiao East Road and Lane 130, Section 1 of Academia Road and connects the biotechnology park with Taiwan Railway's and Taipei Metro's Nangang stations and surrounding residential areas, he said.

In addition to reducing travel time for local residents and commuters, the tunnel provides an alternative route if Academia Road is closed due to flooding or other emergencies, the official said, and it also includes a separate pedestrian and bicycle path.

Located in Taipei's Nangang District and close to Academia Sinica, the NBRP covers 14.19 hectares and houses several institutions, including Academia Sinica's Biomedical Translation Research Center (BioTReC) and the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA).

According to a separate Academia Sinica news release, the newly built route is about 824 meters long, including a tunnel section of about 716 meters.

Academia Sinica President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), who attended the opening ceremony, said the tunnel will not only ease traffic around the park but also further support the development of a biomedical research and biotechnology corridor in Nangang.

Academia Sinica said more than 2,600 researchers and other professionals are now based at the NBRP, which opened in October 2018.

The new tunnel provides a more convenient route between the NBRP and the area around Nangang Station, cutting travel time from about 15-20 minutes during peak hours to under 10 minutes, it said.