Taiwan's Freeways Gridlocked: Tomb Sweeping Festival Travel Chaos Unveiled

Expect Delays: Heavy Traffic and Road Closures Dominate the Roads as the Long Holiday Begins.

Taipei, April 3 - Taiwan's freeway network experienced significant congestion Thursday morning as residents embarked on their journeys for the long Tomb Sweeping Festival weekend.

According to Taiwan's Freeway Bureau, traffic volume was anticipated to peak at 124 million vehicle kilometers on Thursday, marking the highest volume during the four-day holiday and a 1.3-fold increase compared to typical daily levels.

As of Thursday morning, widespread traffic jams were reported across the nation's freeways, with average speeds plunging below 40 kilometers per hour in numerous areas, the bureau indicated.

On the northbound lanes of National Freeway No. 3, between Xindian District in New Taipei and the Muzha Rest Area in Taipei, traffic crawled at a mere 17 kph at 8:25 a.m., the bureau reported.

Speeds under 40 kph were also recorded on the northbound section of National Freeway No. 3 from Muzha Rest Area to Muzha, National Freeway No. 1 southbound from Yangmei to Zhubei, and parts of National Freeway No. 3 southbound from Daxi to Gaoyuan, according to the bureau.

The bureau predicted that the southbound sections of the national freeways would see traffic volumes reaching 70 million vehicle kilometers, which is 1.5 times the usual daily average.

To mitigate the heavier traffic, the bureau had implemented measures such as closing the ramps at the Pingzhen System Interchange and the Puyan System Interchange from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Thursday.

The southbound entry ramps at Shiding and Pinglin on National Freeway No. 5 were also closed from midnight Wednesday to 12:00 p.m. Thursday, with the Shiding entrance in New Taipei being converted into a bus-only lane during that timeframe, the bureau stated.

High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) controls were in effect from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Thursday on National Freeway No. 1, between Taipei's Neihu District and Miaoli County's Toufen City, as well as on National Freeway No. 3, from Muzha District to Xiangshan in Xinyi District in Taipei, with entry ramps to the southbound lanes restricted.

The bureau also recommended alternative routes for drivers, including Provincial Highway No. 9 for journeys from Toucheng Township in Yilan County to Pinglin District in New Taipei, and Provincial Highway No. 61 for travel between Zhubei City and Tainan.

Other suggested routes involved Provincial Highway No. 63 for travel between Taichung and Nantou, and Provincial Highway No. 74 for travel from Wufeng to the Taichung System Interchange or the Zhonggang System Interchange, the bureau said.