TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A groundbreaking bridge designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid entered its final construction stage Tuesday (Sept. 16), marking a milestone in Taiwan's infrastructure development. Danjiang Bridge (淡江大橋) will set three world records, including the largest span of a single-tower asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge. The 920-meter structure spans the Tamsui River (淡水河) and promises to significantly improve traffic in northern Taiwan by cutting travel time between Tamsui District (淡水) and Bali District (八里) by 20 minutes.
A ceremony celebrating the connection of the bridge's two ends was held Tuesday (Sept. 16), attended by President Lai Ching-te ((賴清德), Minister of Transportation Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱), and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜). President Lai promised in a speech that the central government will cooperate with the New Taipei City government to continue this major construction project. The Danjiang Bridge is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 and is scheduled to open to traffic in May 2026.
The multi-functional Danjiang Bridge will integrate express lanes, light rail, motorcycle lanes, bicycle paths, and pedestrian walkways. Pedestrians can experience a wave-like aesthetic from landscape light poles featuring unique angles and varying lengths, reflecting Hadid's signature design. The bridge connects to Provincial Highway No. 2 (台2線) eastward and Provincial Highway No. 15 (台15) and No. 61 (台61) westward, with a southern link from Bali to Provincial Highway No. 64 (台64), potentially reducing traffic by 30%.
The bridge's 3D-curved main tower, standing 200 meters (656 feet) tall with a 450-meter (1,476-foot) span, not only breaks multiple world records but also can withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake and last 120 years. Construction teams transported bridge segments from Taipei Port (台北港) and used all-welded technology to reduce the bridge's weight by 10%. Qing-Cheng Zhang (張慶成), chairman of Cheng-Shine Machinery (建山機械), acknowledged the project's challenges, stating that it was quite difficult and arduous.
