Editing Highway system in Taiwan (section)

==National highways==
National highways are [[freeway]]s with controlled access.{{refn|group=nb|This term "''free''way" means "''free'' of [[Traffic Signal|signals]]", not "''free'' of charge"}}

[[File:Autobahnnetz Taiwan.svg|thumb|300px|National highways of Taiwan]]

=== History ===
The first [[controlled-access highway]], and a predecessor to the national highways in Taiwan, was the [[MacArthur Thruway]], built in 1964 between [[Keelung]] and [[Taipei]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.newdaai.tv/?view=detail&id=81972 | title=Da Ai Headlines for May 2, 2011 | date=2011-05-02 | work=Da Ai World News | access-date=2012-01-10}}{{dead link|date=April 2025|text=It may be difficult to find an archival link that shows what that page looked like in 2011 or 2012, since it is a frequently-updated website. A better source may be needed.}}</ref> Construction on the first modern national highway, [[National Highway 1 (Taiwan)|National Highway 1]], began in 1971. The northern section between [[Keelung]] and [[Zhongli District|Zhongli]] was completed in 1974, and the entire freeway was completed in 1978. It runs from the northern harbor city of [[Keelung]] to the southern harbor city of [[Kaohsiung]], while there was an {{convert|8.6|km|mi|adj=on}} branch (No. 1A) connecting to Chiang Kai-shek International Airport (now [[Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport]]).

Construction began on the other freeways in the late 1980s. The northern section of the second north–south freeway ([[National Highway 3 (Taiwan)|National Highway 3]]) between [[Xizhi]] and [[Hsinchu]] was completed in 1997. The No. 1A Branch was extended to link No. 3 Freeway at [[Yingge, Taipei]], and renamed as the [[National Highway 2 (Taiwan)|National Highway 2]]. Three other short freeways (No. 4, No. 8, and No. 10) were built to link the two north–south freeways in [[Taichung County]] (now part of [[Taichung City]]), [[Tainan County]] (now part of [[Tainan City]]), and [[Kaohsiung County]] (now part of [[Kaohsiung City]]), respectively. The entire No. 3 Freeway was completed in January 2004.

To ease the congestion of No. 1 Freeway in the [[Taipei metropolitan area]], a {{convert|20|km|mi|adj=on}} [[viaduct]] was built in 1997 along the original freeway between [[Xizhi]] and the [[Wugu District]] of New Taipei to serve as a bypass for traffic not exiting and entering the freeway within Taipei.

The construction of a freeway connecting the [[Taipei metropolitan area]] and [[Yilan County, Taiwan|Yilan County]] began in 1991 and was completed in June 2006. It includes a {{convert|12.9|km|mi|adj=on}} tunnel ([[Hsuehshan Tunnel]]), which is the ninth-longest road [[tunnel]] in the world. An extension from [[Yilan County, Taiwan|Yilan County]] to [[Hualien County]] is planned. However, its construction is being delayed by environmental concerns.

On January 2, 2014, the toll system was converted to a distance-based one. Tolls are no longer collected at toll booths but automatically by [[Electronic Toll Collection (Taiwan)|electronic toll collection]] (ETC).

=== Features ===
==== Length, exits, and entrances ====
<gallery>
Image:TaiwanFwy3GuansiSinpuExit.jpg|Exit advance
Image:TaiwanFwy3Jct.jpg|Freeway entrance
Image:Taiwan Freeway Exit Sign.gif|The pre-2006 Taiwan freeway exit sign. The 27 indicates that the exit is the 27th exit, calculated from the northernmost / westernmost point of the freeway.
Image:Taiwan Freeway New Exit Sign.gif|The post-2005 Taiwan freeway exit sign. The 27 indicates that the exit is located at the 27th kilometer, calculating from the northernmost / westernmost point of the freeway. Provincial expressways also allow it in 2007.
</gallery>
Every one tenth of a kilometer is marked on the freeway with Arabic numerals to indicate freeway mileage, which indicates the number of kilometers away from the northern end or western end of the freeway.  Exit numbers are based on the freeway mileage.  With the notable exception of exit-only signs, which are only expressed in Chinese (but with a right arrow indicating an exit-only lane), exit notification and system route reminder signs in the freeway system are almost identical to their US counterparts.

[[Image:Taiwan Freeway Exit Only Road Diagram.PNG|thumb|150px|A diagram that distinguishes an exit only lane from the regular lanes. The exit only lane has a right-turn arrow symbol and Chinese characters that say "Exit exclusive lane."]]

There are four types of exit notification signs. The first notification sign appears two kilometers before the exit, providing the destination name and an Exit 2&nbsp;km notice.  The second sign appears one kilometer before the exit, providing the destination name and a Right Lane notice. The Right Lane notice warns the exiting driver to start switching to the right lane in preparation to exit and does not necessarily indicate that the right lane is an exit-only lane. The third sign appears a few hundred meters before the exit, providing the destination name and a right tilted arrow. The fourth sign is located at the exit and says Exit with a tilted right arrow.

[[Image:Taiwan Freeway 2km Exit Sign.gif|thumb|150px|Sign that indicates that the exit is two kilometers away.]]

[[Image:Taiwan Freeway 1km Exit Sign.gif|thumb|150px|Sign that indicates that the exit is one kilometer away.]]

Exit notification signs were slightly altered in December 2005. The green exit mileage label on top of the exit notification sign has been replaced with a yellow exit mileage label accompanied with the Chinese code name of the interchange. The Chinese code name of the interchange does not necessarily reflect the destinations listed on the exit signs and may represent the general location of the freeway interchange.

Long rectangular-dash dividers usually separate normal lanes. Short rectangular-dash dividers usually indicates a lane that is ready to turn into an exit, a merging lane, or a lane reserved for vehicles that have difficulty climbing high grade regions of the freeway.

Freeway entrances may have traffic lights to control the flow of vehicles entering the freeway.

==== Speed limit ====
The speed limit for cars on Taiwan's freeways range from 80&nbsp;km/h (50&nbsp;mph) on [[National Highway No. 5 (Taiwan)|Freeway No. 5]] (north of [[Toucheng, Yilan]]) to 110&nbsp;km/h (68&nbsp;mph) on [[National Highway No. 3 (Taiwan)|Freeway No. 3]] (south of [[Tucheng City|Tucheng, New Taipei]]). The speed limit for trucks are usually 10&nbsp;km/h lower. In non-traffic jam conditions, a vehicle must travel at least 60&nbsp;km/h (37&nbsp;mph).

Speed limits are enforced through [[traffic enforcement camera|radar activated cameras]] that take pictures of speed-violating cars.  Because of protests, yellow warning signs are given in advance in Chinese of approaching radar activated cameras.

==== Following distances ====
As [[tailgating]] poses serious hazards of rear-ending, Article 6 of the Freeway and Expressway Traffic Control Regulation ({{zh|t=高速公路及快速公路交通管制規則}}) requires the following minimum following distances when the weather is fine:
{| border="1"
! Speed
! Minimum distance per large vehicle<br>(大型車)
! Minimum distance per small vehicle<br>(小型車)
|-
| 60&nbsp;km/h
| 40&nbsp;m
| 30&nbsp;m
|-
| 70&nbsp;km/h
| 50&nbsp;m
| 35&nbsp;m
|-
| 80&nbsp;km/h
| 60&nbsp;m
| 40&nbsp;m
|-
| 90&nbsp;km/h
| 70&nbsp;m
| 45&nbsp;m
|-
| 100&nbsp;km/h
| 80&nbsp;m
| 50&nbsp;m
|-
| 110&nbsp;km/h
| 90&nbsp;m
| 55&nbsp;m
|}
Longer following distance is required in the [[Hsuehshan Tunnel]].

====Traveling through tunnels====
In the tunnel portions of freeways, lane change is prohibited when the lane divider consists of two parallel solid lines, used when lane change is considered unsafe should a collision cause a vehicular fire.  Headlights must be turned on when traveling through tunnels; this is enforced by special cameras. Unlawful lane change or failure to turn on headlights in a tunnel is subject to an administrative fine of 3000 [[new Taiwan dollar]]s.

Additional restrictions apply for the [[Hsuehshan Tunnel]] on Freeway No. 5, which is the longest tunnel in the entire system.
<!----See that article for further information.---->

==== Prohibited traffic ====
Article 19 of the Freeway and Expressway Traffic Control Regulation prohibits uses of and entries onto the freeways by:
# Pedestrians.
# Military troops marching or conducting drills.
# Non-motorized vehicles
# Motorcycles (see also [[Restrictions on motorcycle use on freeways#Taiwan]] for more information).
# Three-wheel motor vehicles or motorized pedicabs.
# Farm machineries.
# Motorized machineries not being motor vehicles.
# Towed vehicles not disabled on the freeways or [[#Expressways|expressways]].

==== [[Electronic Toll Collection (Taiwan)|Electronic toll collection]] ====
Odd-numbered freeways have tolls, which are automatically collected by [[Electronic toll collection|ETC]]. The current rate for cars is (NT$1.2/km up to 200&nbsp;km) + (NT$0.9/excess km), km being kilometers traveled per day. The first 20&nbsp;km per day is free and thus deducted from the distance. Freeways may be used directly, but users are advised to apply for an “eTag”, which is free and when equipped gives 10% discounts and allows you to store pre-paid money for tolls. The eTag can also be set to pay tolls automatically with credit card or a savings account. Users without the eTag pay tolls at convenience stores 3 days after usage and if not, bills will be mailed to car owners.

=== Service and Rest Areas ===
<gallery>
Image:Taiwan road sign Art110.png|Service Area Ahead
Image:TW-Art111.png|Exit to Service Area
Image:TW-Art112.png|Rest Area Ahead
Image:TW-Art113.png|Exit to Rest Area
</gallery>
Freeway service and rest areas start appearing south of Taoyuan City on the No. 1 and No. 3 freeways.  Most rest areas provide gas stations, gift shops, convenience stores, and food courts. The Qingshui rest area located on the 172.4&nbsp;km mileage marker of National Highway No. 3 is so popular that visitors can only park for 45 minutes and are prohibited from barbecuing.

=== List of national highways ===
{{Highway system OSM map
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  | frame-lat = 
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  | frame-width = 200
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  | text = Map of national highways
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There are eight national highways as of 2011. They are administered by the National Freeway Bureau.

* [[National Freeway 1|No. 1]] ([[Keelung|Keelung City]] - [[Cianjhen District|Qianzhen]], [[Kaohsiung]]): 374.4&nbsp;km, completed on October 31, 1978
** No. 1A (Zhuwei, [[Dayuan District]] - [[Guishan District]]): Planned; No. 1A originally ran from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to the airport interchange; this is now part of National Freeway No. 2
* [[National Freeway 2|No. 2]] ([[Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport]] - [[Yingge District|Yingge]], [[New Taipei]]): 20.4&nbsp;km, completed on August 24, 1997
** No. 2A ([[Dayuan District, Taoyuan]] - Dayuan District, Taoyuan): Under construction
* [[National Freeway 3|No. 3]] (Dawulun, [[Keelung City]] - [[Linbian, Pingtung]]): 432.0&nbsp;km, completed on January 11, 2004
** [[National Freeway 3A|No. 3A]] ([[Da'an District, Taipei|Da'an]], [[Taipei City]] - [[Shenkeng, Taipei]]): 5.6&nbsp;km, completed on March 21, 1996
* [[National Freeway 4|No. 4]] ([[Qingshui, Taichung]] - [[Tanzi, Taichung]]): 28.0&nbsp;km, completed in November 2001
* [[National Freeway 5|No. 5]] ([[Nangang District (Taipei)|Nangang]], [[Taipei City]] - [[Su-ao, Yilan]]): 54.3&nbsp;km, completed on January 16, 2006
* [[National Freeway 6|No. 6]] ([[Wufeng, Taichung]] - [[Puli, Nantou]]): 37.6&nbsp;km, completed on March 21, 2009
* [[National Freeway 7|No. 7]] (Kaohsiung Port to Freeway 10): Currently under construction
* [[National Freeway 8|No. 8]] ([[Annan District|Annan]], [[Tainan City]] - [[Xinhua, Tainan]]): 15.5&nbsp;km, completed in February 2000
* [[National Freeway 10|No. 10]] ([[Zuoying District|Zuoying]], [[Kaohsiung City]] - [[Cishan District|Cishan, Kaohsiung]]): 33.8&nbsp;km completed in February 2000

{{Freeways and Expressways in Taiwan}}