New Taipei:New Taipei's Danjiang Bridge will be closed to all traffic starting at 3 p.m. Friday as a safety measure in anticipation of Typhoon Champi. Additionally, services on three MRT lines will be suspended from the same time, as announced by city authorities.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Danjiang Bridge, situated at the mouth of the Tamsui River, is susceptible to strong winds and sudden gusts. The New Taipei Transportation Department has indicated that the bridge closure could occur earlier if adverse weather conditions develop, with notifications to be issued 1-2 hours in advance. Motorists traveling between Tamsui and Bali districts are advised to use the Guandu Bridge as an alternative route. Furthermore, strong winds may impact Provincial Highways 61, 62, 64, and 65, where traffic controls will be implemented as needed.

In a separate announcement, New Taipei Metro Corp. (NTMC) cited forecasts from the Central Weather Administration and WeatherRisk Explore Inc., predicting that gusts in suburban parts of New Taipei could reach Levels 9-12 on the Beaufort scale by Friday afternoon. Due to the exposure of certain sections of the Danhai and Ankeng light rail lines, as well as the Metro Sanying line, to strong winds, NTMC will suspend service on these lines from 3 p.m. Friday as a precautionary measure. NTMC noted that service may be halted earlier if weather conditions deteriorate sooner than predicted.

Authorities will provide updates on when the bridge and rail transit lines will resume operations.