Traffic was heavy on several sections of Taiwan's freeway network this morning, as many people returned home for the long Tomb Sweeping Festival weekend.
Traffic volume today was expected to reach 124 million vehicle kilometers, the highest during the four-day holiday and 1.3 times the normal daily volume, the Freeway Bureau said.
As of this morning, heavy traffic congestion was recorded across the country's national freeways, with average speeds dropping to less than 40kph in many areas, the bureau said.
Photo: Liu Hsiao-hsin, Taipei Times
On the northbound lanes of National Freeway No. 3, between Sindian District (新店) in New Taipei City and the Muzha Rest Area in Taipei, traffic speeds were at a sluggish 17kph as of 8:25am, the bureau said.
Traffic speeds of under 40kph were recorded on the northbound section of National Freeway No. 3 from Muzha Rest Area to Muzha (木柵), National Freeway No. 1 southbound from Taoyuan's Yangmei (楊梅) to Jhubei (竹北), and parts of National Freeway No. 3 southbound from Dasi (大溪) to Gaoyuan (高原), the bureau said.
It projected that traffic speeds on the southbound sections of the national freeways would be 70 million vehicle kilometers — 1.5 times the typical daily volume.
To manage the heavier traffic flows, the bureau said it had closed the ramps at the Pingzhen System Interchange and the Puyan System Interchange from 5am to 12pm today.
The southbound entry ramps at Shiding (石碇) and Pinglin (坪林) on National Freeway No. 5 have also been closed from midnight yesterday to 12pm today, converting the Shiding entrance in New Taipei City into a bus-only lane during that period, the bureau said.
High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) controls were enforced from 6am to 12pm today on National Freeway No. 1, between Taipei's Neihu District (内湖) and Miaoli County's Toufen City (頭份), as well as on National Freeway No. 3, from Muzha District to Xiangshan (象山) in Xinyi District (信義) in Taipei, restricting the southbound entry ramps.
The bureau also recommended that drivers use alternative routes, including Provincial Highway No. 9, for travel from Toucheng Township (頭城) in Yilan County to Pinglin District in New Taipei City, and Provincial Highway No. 61 for travel between Jhubei City and Tainan.
Other suggested routes included Provincial Highway No. 63 for travel between Taichung and Nantou County, and Provincial Highway No. 74 for travel from Wufeng to the Taichung System Interchange or the Zhonggang System Interchange, the bureau said.
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