Taipei: A key bridge linking Taipei and New Taipei will be temporarily closed next week for a military drill simulating efforts to prevent enemy forces from advancing into the capital. This closure is part of the ongoing Han Kuang exercises, according to a source who spoke to CNA on Wednesday.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Wanban Bridge, which connects New Taipei's Banqiao District with Taipei's Wanhua District, will be fully closed to traffic from late July 14 to early July 15. This marks the first full closure of this bridge during the live-fire portion of the Han Kuang exercises.

Military and police units will establish roadblocks to create spot-check sites, simulating the prevention of enemy forces from New Taipei City advancing into Taipei, where the Presidential Office Building and Taipei Main Station are located. While similar bridge-defense drills have occurred in past Han Kuang exercises, this is the first instance of a complete traffic halt. Previously, some traffic was still permitted during such drills.

For the first time, military engineering troops will employ HESCO bastions - modern, collapsible barriers made of wire mesh and fabric. These barriers, originally used for flood control and military fortifications, facilitate the rapid construction of temporary defenses and were previously utilized in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Additional details regarding the full closure of Wanban Bridge for the drill will soon be announced by the Taipei City Police Department, the source added.

Taiwan's longest-ever live-fire phase of the annual Han Kuang military exercises officially began on Wednesday, with a special emphasis on countering China's "gray zone" tactics. The Ministry of National Defense reports that the 10-day, nine-night Han Kuang exercises, running through July 18, are twice as long as previous live-fire drills, which typically lasted five days and four nights.

Since 1984, the annual Han Kuang exercises have been Taiwan's major war games, combining live-fire drills and computerized tabletop simulations to test combat readiness against a potential Chinese invasion. This year's tabletop war games were conducted from April 5 to April 18.