Taiwan Highway Bureau Warns of 11-Hour Traffic Jam on National Freeway 5 for Dragon Boat Festival Holiday Wrap-up; Advises Departure Before 9 AM

The Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau (TANFB) announced today that the final day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday is expected to see a total traffic volume of 108 million vehicle-kilometers, with northbound traffic reaching 61 million vehicle-kilometers—1.3 times the daily average.

Eleven highway segments are identified as high-congestion areas, with the northbound stretch of National Freeway 5 (國5) predicted to face potential delays of up to 11 hours. As of 5:00 PM today, the second day of the three-day holiday, traffic volume was 70.3 million vehicle-kilometers, consistent with expectations.

To manage the expected surge, the Bureau advises travelers on western northbound routes in the south to depart before 9:00 AM, and those in central regions before 12:00 PM. Travelers on northbound National Freeway 5 are encouraged to depart before 9:00 AM to avoid peak hours.

Traffic management measures for tomorrow include: - Closure of specific ramps on National Freeways 1 and 3 from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM. - High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) control on northbound National Freeway 5 (Suao, Luodong, Yilan, and Toucheng) from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM. - Unified toll rates, a 20% discount on the standard rate for the Hsinchu-Yanchao section of National Freeway 3, and toll-free hours from 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM.