Public Works Department, Taipei City Government

The New Construction Office, Public Works Department, Taipei City Government has earned industry recognition once again, as its “National Biotechnology Research Park Access Road Project” received the “2024 Outstanding Tunnel Engineering Award.” The award was presented during the “2025 Annual Meeting of the Chinese Taipei Tunnel Association,” held on April 11, 2025, at the Metro Gold Theater.

According to the “National Biotechnology Research Park Access Road Project” includes a newly built 824-meter-long roadway, with a 716-meter tunnel passing through the Zhongnan Mountains and an excavation area of 192 square meters. To avoid encroaching on a nature reserve, the tunnel was designed with an S-shaped, single-bore configuration for two-way traffic, with separate pedestrian and bike lanes. For disaster prevention, the tunnel incorporates a point extraction ventilation system and smart traffic control technology. It also uses full-section LiDAR scanning and introduces a first-of-its-kind 3D digital twin system to track excavation in real time—allowing the team to quickly compare the current state with initial tunnel conditions and respond accordingly. Meanwhile, the tunnel’s cross-section approaches the width of a four-lane roadway, and it was excavated through soft rock with a large cross-section, mostly under shallow overburden—conditions that typically pose a high risk of collapse. However, thanks to the careful and meticulous efforts of the construction team, even the most challenging sections—with overburden as shallow as 2.3 meters and soft rock geology—were successfully and safely excavated without cave-ins. The project overcame harsh construction conditions while minimizing environmental impact on the ecological reserve.

According to the New Construction Office, the “National Biotechnology Research Park Access Road Project,” once completed, will provide a faster, more direct link between the National Biotechnology Research Park and Nangang Station, while also easing traffic congestion on Academia Road and Zhongxiao East Road. It's expected to greatly improve traffic flow in Nangang’s Jiuzhuang area. In addition, the road will serve as an emergency evacuation route connecting Jiuzhuang to the urban area if the floodgate at Siufen Creek is closed. Moreover, the inclusion of separate pedestrian and bike lanes creates a safe, cozy, and eco-friendly pathway for people traveling between the biotech park and Nangang’s TRA, THSR, and MRT stations. This project ultimately makes Nangang’s transportation network more diverse and well-rounded.