Asphalt Shortage: Tainan Prioritizes Dangerous Road Projects

Tainan City's Public Works Bureau held a groundbreaking ceremony today for the widening project of Wenxian Road (Baonan Road to Yiren Road) in Rende District, attended by Huang Wei-che, along with Democratic Progressive Party legislators Wang Ting-yu and Chen Ting-fei. Huang Wei-che told the media that due to the recent asphalt shortage caused by the situation in the Middle East, this situation is occurring across various regions. Tainan City's road-related projects will therefore undergo some adjustments in construction order, with feasible projects proceeding first. Small-scale projects with immediate danger, such as restoration after pipeline unit excavation, will be prioritized. As for the road leveling project, which solely involves resurfacing, it will be slightly postponed. Huang Wei-che said that the Wenxian Road widening project, which broke ground today, has an overall construction period of over 12 months. He hopes that by the time asphalt is needed, the war will have ended, and supply can return to normal. Wang Jian-xiong, acting director of the Tainan City Public Works Bureau, stated that Wenxian Road is a major north-south road connecting areas such as Shisanja, Baonan, Denan, and Zhongzhou in Rende District, passing through locations like Chimei Museum and TRA Baonan Station. The section from Provincial Highway 1 to Baonan Road has already been widened. The groundbreaking today is for the continuation project from Baonan Road to Yiren Road, with a total length of approximately 2870 meters. Wang Jian-xiong said that the original width of this section of road varied from 10 to 12 meters, and some areas were prone to traffic bottlenecks. After widening, the road will be 15 meters wide, primarily incorporating human-centered design concepts, adding sidewalks and public facility zones. The total project cost and land acquisition fees amount to approximately NT$1.265 billion. The Public Works Bureau successfully secured funding for the living circle road system from the National Land Management Agency, receiving over NT$500 million in subsidies. The project is expected to be completed in January 2029 (Republic of China calendar year 118). (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150407