Port of Taipei to Gain World Class Port Status
The Danjiang Bridge competition between civil engineers and architects from Asia, Europe, and North America to win a contract for the design of an iconic $260 million bridge connecting two land masses in Taiwan was fierce. The winner, Zaha Hadid Architects, was announced last week, and expectations are that a signature bridge will raise the Port of Taipei up in prestige.
Sunsets over the Tamsui River, adjacent to the Taiwan Strait and New Taipei City, are considered some of the most beautiful in Taiwan. Soon the Danjiang Bridge will grace the mouth of the river, connecting the Provincial Highways No. 2, No.15, No. 61, known as Xibin Highway, and No. 64, known as Bali-Xindian Highway.
Currently, drivers wishing to access Tamsui and Bali must follow a convoluted detour via the Guandu Bridge adding nearly 10 miles (15 km) and 25 minutes to the journey.
Winner of Architectural Competition Announced
A number of international design teams were invited to submit design ideas for the bridge through an international competition. The tender for the project from the Ministry of Transportation and Communication of Taiwan included guidance on design, construction supervision, verification of environmental and carbon footprints, and more.
Major New Taiwan Landmark
Countries around the world, especially in the Middle East and Asia, are adding crown jewels in the form of new architectural in civil engineering projects, and now it is Taiwan’s turn. According to the project outline, additional major objectives include:
- Enabling sustainable tourism by linking recreational activities along the northern seashores and cutting travel time.
- Improving the external transportation connection of Danhai New Town and make the northern seashore highway system more comprehensive.
- Enhancing the service standards to Class C or above at Guandu Bridge and the Zhuwei Section of Provincial Highway No.2 by cutting traffic by 30%.
- Expanding the service coverage of highways by making the system more comprehensive in conjunction with the “Taipei Urban Highway System Development Plan.”
- Providing an emergency evacuation access toward the south of Taoyuan should an emergency occur at Nuclear Power Plant No.1 and No.2.
