Taiwan's National Highway 7: A Construction Saga with Soaring Costs

Multi-Billion Dollar Project Faces Delays and Budget Increases

The construction of National Highway 7 in Taiwan, a project initially estimated at NT$61.55 billion, has been significantly impacted by environmental assessment delays. Following a recent inspection of Kaohsiung's industrial and transportation infrastructure by the Legislative Yuan's Economic Committee, reports indicated that the highway is now slated to commence construction in the first half of next year. The total budget for the project has ballooned from NT$135.79 billion to NT$150.17 billion.

Representative Lai, Ruilong emphasized the importance of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications accelerating the project to enhance the competitiveness of Kaohsiung's diverse industries.

The planning for National Highway 7 was completed in 2010, with environmental assessments starting in 2012 and finally approved in 2022. The highway will span approximately 23 kilometers and will include seven interchanges: Linhai, Dapingding, Xiaogang, Daliao System, Fengliao, Niaosong, and Renwu System. The highway is expected to alleviate traffic congestion on National Highway 1, Provincial Highway 88, and National Highway 10.