Dragon Boat Festival holiday's first day: Beware 10 major traffic jam routes, National Freeway 5 southbound could be jammed for 10 hours

Taiwan's National Freeway Bureau is bracing for significant traffic congestion during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, anticipating 10 major bottleneck sections across the nation's highways.

The National Freeway No. 5 southbound route is particularly concerning, with traffic volumes projected to be 1.4 times the average weekday. This could lead to delays of up to 10 hours, making it one of the most congested routes in the country.

To mitigate the impact, the bureau recommends that southbound travelers on western freeways depart before 6 a.m. or after 12 p.m. For the National Freeway No. 5 southbound, travelers are advised to leave before 5 a.m. or after 5 p.m. to save travel time.

Early morning data indicated slow speeds on several sections of the National Freeway No. 5 and No. 3, with speeds below 50-80 kilometers per hour. The bureau also detailed specific sections expected to experience heavy traffic, including parts of National Freeway No. 1 and No. 3 in both southbound and northbound directions, as well as National Freeway No. 5 southbound and National Freeway No. 10 in both directions.

Various traffic control measures will be implemented, such as temporary closures of on-ramps for National Freeway No. 5, a discounted toll rate for certain sections of National Freeway No. 3, a toll suspension during early morning hours, and the opening of emergency lanes. These measures aim to manage the anticipated surge in holiday travel.