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One of the busiest stretches of road in Taiwan is set to have a £3.3 billion ($4.3 billion) makeover to help speed travel to and from the capital Taipei.  In a bid to boost capacity and cut

heavy congestion, extra lanes will be added to the 27.3-mile stretch of National Freeway No1 from Yangmei to Toufen, which sits in the northwest of Taiwan just south of the capital.  Work is

set to take nine years for the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, which is overseeing the major project, and it should be complete by 2033.  It was first given the go-ahead in

May 2020 when the feasibility study was approved by Taiwan's National Development Council, and it subsequently passed the environmental impact assessment in December 2023. It seems part

of a series of plans to develop Taiwan's road infrastructure. The National Development Council also approved a plan in December 2023 to connect Yangmei to Toufen via a freeway overpass

to divert 30 percent of the traffic from the frequently congested stretch of National Freeway No1.  National Freeway No1 is 232.6 miles long and connects Keelung which is just north of the

capital Taipei, with Kaohsiung in the south of the country. As the name suggests, it was the first motorway built in the country. Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation has also set aside

£143.9 million ($188.3 million) over three years to improve cycle paths across the island, as announced in February this year.  Minister for transport Wang Kwo-tsai said they believe it will

raise the profile of Taiwan as a leading country for cycling tourism. Taiwan already has a major transnational cycle route which cost around £27.8 million ($36.4 million) and takes on

average 9 to 12 days to complete.