Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Another milestone has been reached for Circular line east section construction, which is eagerly anticipated by the public. DORTS stated that the groundbreaking ceremony for section contract CF720 was held on Xingshan Rd. in Neihu District while the project is located on Section 1 and Section 2, Jiuzong Rd. in Neihu District; furthermore, Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an presided over the ceremony.

Mayor Chiang stated that the implementation of the “Development of Six Lines 2.0” is in full swing throughout Taipei. The east section will connect with core transportation arteries in Xinyi, Songshan, Shilin, and Neihu, and following the completion of these section contracts, the stations on the northern end and the east depot will be connected. Once construction of the east section has been completed, new momentum will be injected into realizing the vision of a ring-shaped system, with the journey northbound from Neihu Technology Park to Shilin Station taking just 11 minutes, and travel southbound to Xiangshan Station in the Xinyi District taking only 14 minutes.

DORTS First District Project Office (1st DPO), which is responsible for construction of this section, explained that section contract CF720 was awarded to Hwang Chang General Contractor Co., Ltd. and Japanese company Okumura Corporation for a joint bid of over NT$16.4 billion. The scope of this contract follows the CF710 section contract, with a total length of approximately 1,831 meters and includes two underground stations (Station Y33 and Y34), two sections of shield tunnel, as well as water, electricity, and environmental control systems within the section.  

1st DPO further elaborated that Circular line Phase I is already opened for operations; furthermore, construction is already completely underway on the south section and north section. As of the end of March 2026, the construction progress had already reached 31.89%. The east section is the final piece of the puzzle, and with a total length of 13.25km, it will include the construction of 10 underground stations and one depot. The project will be implemented through 6 separate tendered contracts, and among them the groundbreaking ceremony for third section contract CF710 was successfully held on February 4, 2026. Meanwhile the groundbreaking ceremony of section contract CF720, the fourth contract, today represents an important step forward for MRT construction. The scope of the contract follows the route from Station Y32 of section contract CF710 at Dagangqian Park and includes Station Y33, which will be constructed in Ruiguang Park. The up and down shield tunnels will be located at Lane 171, Section 2, Jiuzong Road and Lane 178, Ruihu Street, respectively, and the route will then turn onto Section 2, Jiuzong Rd. After crossing National Freeway 1, Station Y34 is located on Lane 11, Section 6, Minquan East Road, and the route will subsequently pass beneath Minquan Bridge by means of a shield tunnel and then pass beneath the area near the intersection of Section 1, Jiuzong Road and Xinhu 1st Road where Station Y35 is located along with the outer edge of the Circular line East Depot. Currently the bidding process is underway for the remaining two section contracts and three stations, which includes Station Y35, the East Depot on Section 1, Jiuzong Road, and the section which intersects with Songshan Station and Yongchun Station.

Mayor Chiang pointed out that section contract CF720 passes beneath Section 1, and Section 2 of Jiuzong Rd. in Neihu. Traffic management will be one of the primary challenges during the construction process to cope with the large traffic flows during rush hour and the shopping crowds on weekends. Moreover, DORTS has been specifically instructed to make every effort to coordinate and organize public briefing sessions prior to construction to enable everyone to be fully informed of the construction plans and traffic adjustment measures. At the same time, frontline workers are required to adhere to the highest standards of public safety to ensure the safety of construction and road environments.  

DORTS further elaborated that the main construction route for this project is located on Section 1 and Section 2 of Jiuzong Rd. in Neihu Technology Park. In addition to having an extremely high volume of traffic during weekday rush hours, shopping traffic also surges on weekends and holidays. Therefore, the installation of construction fencing will inevitably have an impact on the flow of traffic. Discussions have been held with the construction contractors to refine the construction methods to minimize the impact of construction fencing on the flow of traffic on Section 1 and Section 2 of Jiuzong Rd.

DORTS also explained that for Taipei Metropolitan Area, the MRT route is planned in a grid network to connect major roads in downtown areas and then expands in a radial pattern heading outwards from the city center along important transportation corridors. The planning concept of the Circular line is to realize the objective of convenient transportation by connecting the radiating MRT lines in Taipei Metropolitan Area via a ring-shaped route. Circular line Phase I is already in operation, and Circular line Phase II includes Circular line south section, north section, and east section, which are currently under construction, and together they will form a ring-shaped network which will enable passengers to reach their destination by taking just one train.

DORTS stated that a convenient MRT system will significantly increase the public’s willingness to use public transportation, and change the public’s transportation habits. It will also reduce the usage of private vehicles. The construction of the Circular line east section will not only have the capacity to alleviate traffic issues in Neihu District, but also contribute to improving overall energy conservation and carbon reduction efforts.

DORTS also stated that distinguished guests from the central and local governments were invited to join the ceremony and witness a new milestone in the construction of transportation in Neihu. In addition, students from Tanmei Elementary School and Xihu Junior High School were invited to put on an energetic performance. Technology and sports-themed booths symbolized the urban vision of “health, sports, and technology” in Taipei.