Nantou's Landmark Green Beauty Bridge Undergoes Major Renovation, Launches Online Vote for Bridge Color

Nantou City's iconic Green Beauty Bridge, a vital crossing over the Maoluo River, is set to undergo a significant renovation starting in September. The Nantou City Office has launched an online poll through its new "Nantou City Affairs" app, inviting citizens to decide the bridge's future color scheme. Options include restoring its original red hue or maintaining the current blue and white, and residents can also vote on whether to rename the landmark.

Participants in the poll are eligible for a lucky draw, with prizes including watches, hot spring tickets, and EasyCards. The 280-meter-long Green Beauty Bridge was constructed in 1997 at a cost of over NT$90 million. It was initially built to provide a safe passage for students and parents traveling between home and school, avoiding the dangerous traffic on Zhongxing Road. The bridge offers scenic views of the Maoluo River and is visible from the National Freeway 3, serving as a multi-functional steel arch suspension bridge and a prominent Nantou landmark.

In 2019, the county government partially improved the bridge under the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, repainting its original orange-red structure to blue and white, a move that met with strong local opposition. Following the collapse of the Suhua Highway's Nanfang'ao Bridge, inspections revealed severe corrosion in the Green Beauty Bridge's steel cables and anchorages, leading to its classification as a dangerous structure and temporary closure.

Nantou City and the county government secured approximately NT$75 million in central government funding for the major overhaul. The renovation will focus on repairing damaged steel structures, reinforcing seismic resistance, improving the bridge deck, optimizing drainage, enhancing pedestrian areas, and updating the night lighting. Mayor Chang Chia-che expressed hope that the online voting will ensure the renovated bridge better reflects public opinion. He also pledged regular maintenance and plans to connect the bridge with riverside trails to create a recreational space for residents, revitalizing the aging landmark.

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We hope that through online voting, the renovated Green Beauty Bridge will be closer to public opinion. We will also conduct regular inspections in the future and connect it with riverside trails to become a good place for citizens to relax, allowing the old landmark to regain new life.