Congestion on National Freeway 5 might continue until midnight 中秋連假第3天  國5北返車潮恐塞到深夜

Presenter: As the Mid-Autumn Festival holidays entered its third day, experts say northbound congestions are likely to continue as people are starting to return home.

Northbound traffic congestion began building at 10:30 a.m. between Yilan-Toucheng and Pinglin on the 20th. Vehicles crawled along at under 10 kilometers per hour around the 30-kilometer marker between Yilan and Toucheng. The Directorate-General of Highways says northbound traffic will be even worse after noon and will continue through the day. Travel time is estimated at seven times longer than normal.

Hsu Wen-yu, Freeway Traffic Analyst:”We will start seeing congestion around 11 a.m. between Yilan and Pinglin. Road users should expect travel times seven times longer than normal through the rest of the day.”

The DGH says northbound congestion will be worst on National Freeway 1's  Hsinchu system, between Nantun and Houli, and between Xiluo and Puyan; on National Freeway 3 between Guanxi and Daxi, Dashan and Xiangshan, the Wufeng system, and between Jhushan and Zhongxing; and on National Freeway 5 between Yilan and Pinglin, and around the Xueshan Tunnel. Freeway traffic volume for the day is forecast at 1.22 million vehicle kilometers travelled, including 1.5 times the normal daily average for northbound traffic. The DGH says northbound traffic volume will also spike on the Suhua Highway after noon.

Chen Shih-chang, Chief Engineer, Fourth Maintenance Office, DGH:”Traffic volume was 25 percent higher than normal (on Sept. 19) and southbound traffic was around 30 percent higher than normal the two days before. We're expecting higher northbound traffic volume than in years past this year.”

In the north, congestion will be worst on National Freeway 1 between Hsinchu and Hukou and on National Freeway 3 between Guanxi and Daxi between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m., with travel speed estimated at four times longer than normal. There will be carpooling restrictions in place on National Freeway 5 between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. with toll-free travel on all national freeways between midnight and 5 a.m.

國五"宜蘭頭城"往"坪林"，北向路段，上午10點半過後，開始出現大批車潮。其中"宜蘭"往"頭城"北向30公里處，時速最低不到10公里，呈現紫爆狀態。高公局表示，北返車潮，中午過後車潮更多，塞車情況，將持續到深夜，行車時間會是平常7倍。

國道路況預報達人 許文瑜：「在宜蘭到坪林路段呢，預計在上午11點開始就會有車流出現，那壅塞狀況將持續到深夜，旅行時間預計將為平常的7倍。」

中秋連假第三天，收假北返車潮湧現，高公局也公布，易壅塞地雷路段，包括國一北向，新竹系統、南屯到后里，以及西螺往埔鹽系統，國3北向， 關西到大溪，大山到香山，霧峰系統，以及竹山到中興，中午過後車多，以及國5北向，宜蘭到坪林路段，雪隧車多。國道全天車流量，預估有122百萬車公里，其中北向交通量，是平日"年平均"的1.5倍。公總表示，"蘇花改"北返車流量，中午過後也爆增。

公路總局第四區養護工程處主任工程師 陳世昌：「昨天的車流來看已經有增加25%，前一兩天南下車流也都增加有將近30%，我們預期今年北上的車流應該比去年還會多很多。」

高公局表示，北部地區，國一新竹到湖口，國三關西到大溪路段，下午兩點到十點開始壅塞，行車時間會是平常4倍。國五則從下午兩點到九點，實施高乘載管制。國道零時0點到上午5點，暫停收費，用路人可利用替代道路、或離峰時間，避開塞車路段。