ABSTRACT
The Taiwan Strait Crossing proposed project consists of a combination of both bridges and underwater tunnels with a total length ranging from 150 to 250 km depending on the crossing location. This chapter presents a brief description of three possible crossing routes (Southern, Middle, and North) from the mainland to the Taiwan islands. These three proposed routes are selected because of the proximity of major cities or metropolitan areas on both Taiwan Island and the mainland. Each proposed route has unique characteristics such as economic, geographic, and environmental conditions. The selection of the transportation corridor route depends on two primary factors: nearness to the population centers at both ends, and shortest combined tunnel and bridge lengths. Two basic design approaches are available, which involve bridges connecting Pingtan and Niu-shan islands to the mainland. The seismic criteria for a major bridge are developed based on two levels of earthquake loading. These levels are safety evaluation earthquake and functional evaluation earthquake.
