Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

“The Zhongzheng Bridge Reconstruction Project and Attached Utility Pipeline Works,” undertaken by the New Construction Office, Public Works Department, Taipei City Government, received the 2026 “Engineering Excellence Award” from the Chinese Institute of Engineers on June 5, 2026. Following its earlier recognition with an Excellence Award in the 2025 “Lighting Golden Quality Awards,” the project has once again been honored, highlighting the outstanding quality of the New Construction Office’s engineering works and the broad recognition they have received.

Zhongzheng Bridge is an important transportation hub spanning the Xindian River and connecting Zhongzheng District in Taipei City with Yonghe District in New Taipei City. However, the bridge had faced problems including aging structures and insufficient seismic resistance. The reconstruction project first demolished the Chongqing South Road Viaduct and the Ziqiang Market beneath it, then renovated the surface section of Chongqing South Road and added new sidewalks, reshaping the surrounding urban landscape, improving the pedestrian environment, and revitalizing local development.

The newly rebuilt bridge integrates two major features, namely “engineering aesthetics” and “historical preservation.” The new main bridge adopts a large span steel arch design with no piers placed in the river, using twin arch rib trusses and suspended steel cables to create a graceful curved form. In addition to providing a spacious and comfortable driving environment for traffic traveling between Taipei and New Taipei, it has also become a new landmark along the Xindian River.

During construction, the Chongqing South Road Viaduct was demolished in just 87 hours over the Lunar New Year holiday. With overall traffic volumes in Taipei at their lowest during the Spring Festival period, the road closure caused the least possible disruption to the public. A large number of construction personnel gave up their holiday to meet this highly time sensitive challenge. Later, innovative methods such as curved incremental launching and steel arch rib lifting were adopted to reduce high altitude operations, significantly lower labor risks, strengthen worksite safety protections, and provide a more worker friendly construction environment.

In addition, part of the old Zhongzheng Bridge was originally the “Kawabata Bridge,” completed in 1937 during the Japanese colonial period, and it has been registered as a historic building. To meet flood control requirements, the original bridge piers were raised and preserved through restoration. The new bridge’s bicycle path now connects to Kawabata Bridge, linking the riverside park corridors of Taipei and New Taipei, while the historic bridge itself has been transformed into a scenic bridge exclusively for pedestrians and cyclists, restoring the beauty of its former appearance. Through the approach ramp along the side of the bridge, the public can directly access the floodplain riverside parks along the waterfront in both Taipei and New Taipei, enjoying a variety of experiences such as walking, cycling, recreation, and exercise.

The nighttime lighting of the “Zhongzheng Bridge Reconstruction Project” uses light and shadow as its medium to express the modern structural strength of the “new bridge,” adding another urban landmark to the nightscape of the Xindian River. A smart dimming system is concealed within the 285 meter arch ribs, and 2700K warm white lighting highlights the texture of the steel structure. The suspended steel cables are precisely illuminated from below, so that from a distance they resemble strings vibrating above the water’s surface. In addition, the project strictly controlled lighting angles to effectively prevent light pollution and reduce disturbance to the aquatic ecosystem, putting its commitment to environmental friendliness into practice.