TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Southbound traffic on highways had already slowed to a crawl by 8:30 a.m. on Saturday (Feb. 26), the first day of the long 228 memorial weekend.
Vehicles in northern Taiwan on National Highway No. 1 and National Highway No. 3 were moving at an average speed of less than 40 kilometers per hour, per a CNA report. The national road authority recommends southbound drivers set off in the afternoon.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications' (MOTC) Freeway Bureau expects traffic jams will be at their worst on Saturday morning. Worst-hit sections include southbound lanes between Highway No. 1 between Yangmei (楊梅) and Hsinchu (新竹), the Changhua System Interchange (彰化系統) and Puyan System Interchange (埔鹽系統), and northbound lanes between Yuanshan (圓山) and the Dahua System Interchange (大華系統).
On Highway No. 3, southbound traffic between Shicheng (土城) and Guanxi (關西) as well as Kuaiguan (快官) and Wufeng (霧峰) will slow down, as will southbound traffic on Highway No. 5 between the Nangang System Interchange (南港系統) and Toucheng (頭城).
According to the Freeway Bureau, traffic started to build up from 9 a.m. on Friday (Feb. 25), and the effects were noticeable by the afternoon. In addition to recommending southbound drivers head out on Saturday afternoon, authorities also recommend the use of alternative routes, including Route 61 between Hsinchu and Tainan.