Taipei: A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Wednesday for a section of the Taipei Metro Circular Line East Section that passes through Neihu Technology Park. The ceremony marked the start of "Contract CF710," a portion of the Circular Line that will connect Zhongshan and Neihu districts along Jingye 3rd Road, Lequn 2nd Road, and Ruikang Road, according to Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an.

According to Focus Taiwan, the project includes the construction of three underground metro stations and four shield tunnels. Mayor Chiang acknowledged potential inconvenience to nearby residents and emphasized that he had directed the responsible departments multiple times to implement measures to ease traffic congestion, while continuing to heed public feedback.

Cheng Tao-hsin, a senior official at the Department of Rapid Transit Systems, said construction under Contract CF710 would involve building a slurry wall in the latter half of this year and continuing into next year, which will affect nearby traffic. To minimize disruption, sidewalks and park green space will be adjusted for traffic flow, and Zhouzi Street and Ruikang Road may be converted to one-way streets.

Chiang noted that over the past three years, construction on the southern and northern portions of the Circular Line has already begun, and contractors have been selected for four of the six sections of the East Section. He added that once complete, commuters can expect 11-minute travel times from Neihu Technology Park to Shilin and 14 minutes to Xiangshan in Xinyi District.

The completion of the eastern section of the Circular Line is expected to significantly ease Neihu's traffic congestion, Chiang said.