National Highway No. 3 (Taiwan)

National Highway No. 3 (Taiwan)
Country	Taiwan
Type	National Highway
Length km	435.5
Established	1993
Termini a	* Keelung * Taipei
Termini b	* Pingtung County * Pingtung City
Cities	New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Taichung, Changhua County, Nantou County, Chiayi County, Tainan, Kaohsiung

National Highway No. 3 (Taiwan) National Highway No. 3 is a major controlled-access freeway on the western corridor of Taiwan, linking northern port and metropolitan areas to southern urban centers. The route complements other transport corridors such as the Taiwan High Speed Rail, Provincial Highway 1, and National Highway No. 1 while serving nodes like Keelung Port, Taipei Songshan Airport, Taichung Port, Kaohsiung Port, and Pingtung Airport. It traverses jurisdictions including New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County, Miaoli County, Taichung, Changhua County, Nantou County, Chiayi County, Tainan, and Kaohsiung.

Route description

The alignment begins near Keelung and skirts the western periphery of Taipei, passing adjacent to landmarks such as Dadaocheng Wharf, Taipei 101, and Yangmingshan National Park before entering New Taipei City. Continuing southwest, the freeway intersects transportation hubs including Taoyuan International Airport, Hsinchu Science Park, and the urban cores of Hsinchu City and Miaoli County. Mid-route the highway runs parallel to sections of Western Trunk Line rail and the Taiwan High Speed Rail right-of-way around Taichung, providing access to industrial zones like Fengyuan District and Changhua Coastal Industrial Park. South of Changhua County the route traverses inland foothills near Nantou County and connects to agricultural plains serving Chiayi City and Tainan City, before reaching the Kaohsiung metropolitan area and terminating in Pingtung County. The corridor interfaces with intercity facilities including Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, National Chung Hsing University, National Cheng Kung University, and Kaohsiung International Airport.

History

Planning for the freeway was coordinated among agencies such as the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Taiwan), Directorate General of Highways (Taiwan), and local governments including Taipei City Government and Kaohsiung City Government. Construction phases in the late 20th century involved contractors linked to firms like China Engineering Consultants, Inc. and Kuo Kuang Motor Transport Corporation, with civil works addressing seismic concerns inspired by events such as the 1999 Jiji earthquake. Segments opened progressively in the 1990s and early 2000s, aligning policy priorities of administrations including those of Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian. Major engineering undertakings referenced best practices from projects such as the Sun Yat-sen Freeway and international influences like design standards used on Interstate Highway System corridors. Upgrades and maintenance have been undertaken in partnership with entities like Taiwan Power Company and Water Resources Agency to manage utility relocations near sites such as Sun Moon Lake and the Bagua Plateau.

Junctions and interchanges

The freeway contains interchanges with primary routes including intersections with National Highway No. 1, National Highway No. 10, Provincial Highway 3, and Provincial Highway 61. It connects to rail-centric nodes like Taipei Main Station via arterial expressways and to seaports such as Keelung Port and Kaohsiung Port through port access ramps. Key interchanges provide links to industrial and educational centers including Hsinchu Science Park, Taichung Songzhu Metropolitan Park, Changhua Coastal Industrial Park, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, and National Sun Yat-sen University. The design of major junctions incorporates features named for nearby districts like Banqiao District, Zhongli District, Toufen Township, Dali District, Xitun District, Qiaotou District, and Ligang Township to facilitate freight flows to logistics hubs including Taiwan International Ports Corporation facilities.

Service areas and facilities

Service areas along the freeway offer amenities to motorists and freight operators, including fuel stations operated by companies such as CPC Corporation, Taiwan and Formosa Petrochemical Corporation, and convenience outlets linked to retail chains including 7-Eleven (Taiwan), FamilyMart (Taiwan), and Hi-Life. Rest stops provide vehicle inspection bays coordinated with Vehicle Registration Office (Taiwan) programs and emergency response ties to agencies like National Fire Agency (Taiwan) and Taiwan Emergency Medical Services. Commercial service complexes near major interchanges host restaurants featuring regional cuisine from areas like Taichung, Chiayi, and Kaohsiung, and logistics centers operated by firms such as Evergreen Marine and Taiwan Railways Administration freight subsidiaries. Tourist information points orient travelers to attractions including Lukang Old Street, Alishan National Scenic Area, and Fo Guang Shan.

Traffic and tolling

Traffic patterns reflect mixed commuter, freight, and long-distance travel, with peak congestion proximate to urban nodes including Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung. The freeway is part of an electronic tolling regime managed by agencies like the Electronic Toll Collection Corporation and operates in coordination with policies from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Taiwan). Vehicle classification and toll rates align with practices seen on corridors administered by Directorate General of Highways (Taiwan), with traffic monitoring supported by systems similar to those used by Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau and integrated with incident management centers modeled after international counterparts like the Singapore Expressway Monitoring System. Enforcement and safety collaborations involve National Police Agency (Taiwan) traffic divisions and inspection programs informed by standards from organizations such as the International Road Federation.

Future developments and upgrades

Planned improvements emphasize capacity upgrades, intelligent transport systems, and resilience measures against hazards including earthquakes and typhoons. Projects under consideration involve collaborations with research institutions like National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, and National Cheng Kung University to deploy traffic prediction algorithms and sensor networks comparable to deployments in Seoul, Tokyo, and Singapore. Expansion proposals include additional lanes near growth corridors in Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung, interchange reconfigurations to serve new industrial parks such as expansions of Hsinchu Science Park and greenfield logistics zones tied to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation initiatives, and environmental mitigation works coordinated with Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan). Funding mechanisms may draw from domestic instruments such as sovereign bond issuances overseen by the Ministry of Finance (Taiwan) and public–private partnership models used in projects like the Taiwan High Speed Rail development.

Category:Highways in Taiwan