As the holiday exodus kicked off across Taiwan for the 2026 Double Ten Day long weekend, the island’s highway network faced an immediate wave of congestion, punctuated by at least 25 traffic accidents by early afternoon.
The Morning Rush and Early Collision Log
The three-day National Day holiday, running from October 9 through October 11, drew millions of travelers onto national highways. According to the Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau (commonly known as the High-Speed Rail Bureau or Freeway Bureau), traffic volume on the entire highway network reached 38.2百萬車公里 by 11:00 AM on the first day, tracking toward a projected full-day total of 114百萬車公里—a figure remaining well within anticipated traffic forecasts, Public Television Service (PTS) reported.
Despite volumes aligning with predictions, morning traffic snarls materialized rapidly across key arteries. Major bottlenecks emerged along the southbound lanes of National Freeway 1 (formally National 1) from Hukou to Hsinchu, the northbound stretch from Hsinchu to the Hukou Service Area, and National Freeway 3 (National 3) from Sanying to Longtan and Wuri to Wufeng. Commuters heading toward eastern Taiwan via National Freeway 5 (National 5) also encountered heavy congestion from the Nangang System Interchange to Shiding.
The friction was compounded by a flurry of collisions. At 8:16 AM, a two-vehicle rear-end collision on southbound National 1 at the 333.5-kilometer mark involving the Rende battle runway resulted in a vehicle overturning and blocking all lanes, triggering a four-kilometer backup, according to live traffic updates. Additional morning incidents—including a 9:40 AM northbound crash on National 3 at kilometer 337.8 near Shanhua and an 8:49 AM collision on the National 1 elevated southbound route at kilometer 70.3—further strained capacity as vehicles backed up for kilometers before clearance crews could clear the wreckage.
Afternoon Hotspots and Comprehensive Diversion Strategies
Anticipating sustained gridlock, the Freeway Bureau flagged severe afternoon bottlenecks across several critical segments. Motorists were advised to steer clear of the National 1 southbound elevated Airport System to Yangmei, Yangmei to Toufen, and Changhua System to Puyan System, alongside the northbound section from Yuanshan to Dahua System. Similar long-duration congestion was expected on National 3 southbound from Zhonghe to Guansi, and National 5 southbound from Nangang System to Toucheng.
Travelers bound for Yilan via National 5 were explicitly urged by transportation officials to delay their departures until after 5:00 PM to bypass the peak morning queues, which saw Snow Mountain Tunnel throughput hit 12,722 vehicles by late morning—figures closely mirroring the previous year. To offset the crush, authorities implemented dynamic traffic controls, including ramp metering across northern and central interchanges, open-shoulder policies, and single-rate toll structures with specific discounts for long-distance drivers utilizing National 3 between the Hsinchu System and Yanchao System.
Broader Transportation Pressures and Safety Measures
The highway gridlock arrives against a backdrop of heightened public scrutiny regarding holiday transit capacity, following intense crowding experienced during the previous Mid-Autumn Festival travel window. Authorities utilized integrated public transit incentives—including fare discounts across 85 medium- and long-distance national highway passenger routes, which can drop lower when combined with frequent-rider loyalty structures like TPASS 2.0—to siphon private vehicles off the asphalt.
Meanwhile, railway safety also commanded headlines as holiday security remained tight. Rail police arrested a suspect under the Criminal Code following a minor fire incident on October 8 inside an exhaust room at the Taipei Nangang Station, where discarded cigarette ashes ignited dry powder fire extinguishers. Law enforcement officials confirmed that prompt intervention prevented structural damage or injuries, ensuring the station’s ongoing holiday operational capacity remained undisturbed as millions prepared for their holiday itineraries.
