Lienchiang County Council Inspects Beigan, Focuses on Project Delays and Poor Quality

(Central News Agency reporter Pan Xintong, Lienchiang County, 5th) The Lienchiang County Council conducted an administrative inspection in Beigan today. Councilors' main concerns were the significant delays in the progress of the Daqiu Bridge and the new school building project at Zhongshan Junior High School, as well as the poor construction quality of the Tanghou Road. They demanded that the county government urge contractors to accelerate construction and ensure that completion deadlines are not repeatedly broken.

Regarding the Daqiu Island access road project (Daqiu Bridge), which cost over NT$500 million, started construction in 2017, has had its工期延長 (construction period extended) by a total of 1,383 days, and remains unfinished, Liu Shangru, Director of the Public Works Department of the Lienchiang County Government, reported that the key bridge piers P1, P3, and P4 will be constructed successively this year. Although factors like typhoons may affect the schedule, it is expected that the bridge project can be completed by the end of the year.

Lienchiang County councilors Chou Jui-kuo and Chen Yu-fa, from the Kuomintang, questioned why the Daqiu Bridge has not been completed in nearly 10 years. They argued that the Public Works Department should be held responsible for the delays. They noted that the briefing did not include a concrete catch-up plan or related milestones, and the previously announced completion dates have repeatedly been broken. They demanded that the county government provide a complete public explanation of the project's execution status and urge the contractor to expedite work so that the public's expectations are not dashed again.

Lienchiang County Magistrate Wang Chung-ming responded by emphasizing that the Daqiu Bridge project should proceed step by step according to the schedule assessed by the contractor.

During an inspection of the Tanghou Road project in Beigan Township, Kuomintang councilor Tsao Erh-chang questioned the quality. According to county government data, the project's completion was confirmed on May 14. However, when he went to Beigan for an event on May 24, he saw gravel surfacing in many places on the Tanghou Road bridge deck, and some sections appeared to have been hastily covered with epoxy resin. He stated that the construction quality was clearly poor and raised concerns about whether it would affect the road and bridge structure.

Lienchiang County Council Speaker Chang Yung-chiang, also from the Kuomintang, pointed out that the Tanghou Road bridge is built on a sandy beach. Although the contractor has a warranty mechanism, the county government should still monitor and pay attention to whether the southwest monsoon could affect the bridge's structure and safety.

Liu Shangru told CNA today that when the road surface was laid, the protective layer was mixed with gravel and concrete. Furthermore, because the contractor temporarily scraped off the top layer of concrete (PC) to repair the road, which will be repaved in the future, the exposed gravel does not compromise the road's structural strength. The related deficiencies are expected to be rectified by the 26th.

As for the new school building project for the relocation of Zhongshan Junior High School, Principal Hsiao Chien-fu reported that the contractor, Taihe Dingji Construction Co., Ltd., applied for mediation with the Public Construction Commission of the Executive Yuan last December. After four mediation meetings on the contract dispute, the other party failed to amend according to the resolution. The school has now hired a lawyer and filed a lawsuit against the contractor for contract rescission or termination, seeking to protect the school's rights and interests through legal procedures. (Editor: Chang Mingkun) 1150605