Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Construction of the entire Circular line south section, which many people have been eagerly awaiting, has commenced! On the morning of March 30 at Ming Dao Elementary School in Wenshan District, Taipei City, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for section contract CF670A for the Wenshan to Dapinglin section of the Circular line south section. Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih co-presided over the ceremony, and legislators, city councilors and VIP guests from all walks of life were invited to pray together for the successful completion of the project.  

DORTS Second District Project Office (2nd DPO), which is responsible for the construction of Circular line south section, explained that with a total length of 3.5 km, section contract CF670 will include four underground stations (Y2A, Y3, Y4, and Y5) and four sections of shield tunnel. The four underground stations will be constructed in the following locations: adjacent to the Wenshan District Office, at the intersection of Section 2, Muzha Rd. and Xinglong Rd., adjacent to the National Examination Center, and adjacent to Far East Industrial Park in Xindian District, New Taipei City.

2nd DPO further elaborated that the construction company which will undertake this project is Continental Engineering Corporation. Within the scope of this construction project, there is shallow bedrock along with numerous large pipelines beneath the road at Station Y3. Moreover, the road width at Station Y4 is very narrow, and there are three sharp bends in the tunnel which crosses the Jingmei River. The construction is very difficult; however, the MRT construction team will go to great lengths to overcome the issues. 2nd DPO stated that large-scale municipal construction will contribute to urban development and convenience in the future; moreover, they hope to secure public support and cooperation for the project. Therefore, people along the route are urged to be understanding and accommodating to any inconveniences and impacts caused during the construction period.　

In his speech Mayor Chiang stated that bidding for the final three section contracts of Circular line Phase II were finalized last year, and among them, construction of section contract CF670 will commence today. Under the diligent efforts of the city government team and with the assistance of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, various difficulties such as a lack of labor and materials, rising material prices and poor construction environment were overcome to smoothly awarded the contract and enable Circular line south section construction to commence in its entirety. Mayor Chiang also expressed his gratitude to Continental Engineering Corporation for weathering the difficult construction environment and actively participating in the construction of Taipei MRT. He also made a special point of urging all departments in the city government to work together, listen to the opinions of local residents, and to spare no efforts in minimizing impacts on traffic.

Mayor Chiang stated that Wenshan District is famous for its history, culture and humanities, boasting not only abundant natural landscapes, hiking trails, and monuments and temples but also Taipei Zoo, which is the largest of its kind in Asia. It is also home to the well-known Maokong Tea Garden along with other tourist attractions. In addition, Mayor Chiang also pointed out that Wenshan District is also known as a cultural district, and in addition to over 40 schools, it is also the location of the Examination Yuan. The opening of the Taipei MRT Circular line south section for operations will foster more convenient transportation in the local area and enable domestic and international travelers to easily reach Wenshan District in order to enjoy the beauty and cultural richness of the area. In addition, it will also enable students to have a safer and faster way to school.

DORTS emphasized that the Circular line traverses 14 administrative districts and includes 14 transfer stations which connect with the Wenhu line, the Songshan-Xindian line, the Ankeng LRT, the Zhonghe-Xinlu line, the Wanda line, the Bannan line, the Taoyuan Airport MRT, the Tamsui-Xinyi line, and Taiwan Railways routes. This includes all MRT routes in Taipei Metropolitan Area and will effectively enhance the accessibility and mobility of the MRT system while drastically reducing travel times. Prosperity of satellite areas outside the core area can be promoted through convenient transportation to achieve balanced development in Taipei and New Taipei City.

In addition to providing convenient transportation to the public, DORTS will also continue focus on issues such as smart railways, net zero emissions and gender equality. For example, this opening ceremony breaks with traditional gender concepts of having only women serve in ceremonial roles, and instead includes the participation of some men. DORTS believes that the public will get a feeling for the atmosphere which they have created through their efforts to promote urban development.