TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tainan plans to start building the 20,000-seat Tainan Arena from 2028, but citizens fear traffic chaos from the area’s narrow roads once construction starts, PTS reported Monday.

According to UDN, Tainan Arena will sit between Chongxing and Shengchan roads in East District, but most nearby streets remain too narrow to handle heavy traffic. Citizens said the narrow roads could turn the area into a traffic nightmare once construction begins.

A citizen surnamed Lin (林) said a “dark period” for traffic once work starts is “inevitable.” He added that people hope traffic in Tainan will also see significant improvements.

Li Jen-tzu (李仁慈), chief of Chongming Village, pointed out that widening the roads is no longer possible. He said heavy traffic is likely since a large retail complex will sit next to the site.

On Sept. 25, the Tainan City Government issued a bid notice for the build-operate-transfer project. However, lawmakers said the area’s only main road, Shengchan Road, cannot handle more cars and called for a new east-west route connecting Datong Road to ease congestion.