County Road 64 is an excellent choice to cross over. Short and a trivial climb but fun little road through geologically interesting area. You will probably be riding into the wind going north this way for the next few months.
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You’re buddies with Johnny?! I love his videos. Are you featured in any of them?
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You probably know this already, but just in case you don’t. On Day 0, don’t try to ride your bike out of Taoyuan airport. They won’t let you. Several foreigners learned this the hard way after they spent over half an hour assembling their bikes in the airport and threw away the boxes, and were then told that the road to the airport is off limits to bikes.
The closure just north of Toroko is still in place. I forgot the exact times, i think they have 2 times they let traffic pass. Note the roads are still shitty in places and there is often a long line of vehicles which kicks up dust real bad. It’s open from 5pm til morning, but riding that section at night defeats the purpose, it’s REALLY pretty there.
Take the old road, not the tunnels. Some but clinchers as the old raod is more narrow and driving skill here is sub par. But it is truly beautiful!
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Thanks! That is a very practical advice. Fortunatelly I will have a bike bag and leave it in the hotel nearby. Bike boxes are too fragile IMO.
See translation below of current rules in effect.
It sounds very strict and complicated but knowing Taiwan, I suspect the reality is a bit more flexible. FWIW, a family member rode a scooter down it last month and did not have any problems.
That said, be careful in Taroko. There are probably good reasons that the authorities have put controls in even if the people implementing them don’t enforce them. People die in Taroko all the time. Including foreign cyclists. It’s a very very beautiful climb though that I don’t think you will forget.
We might be able to come up with an alternative route for you that skips the KOM but still lets you do lots of premium riding in Taiwan. It’s sometimes better not to challenge nature when it says ‘not now’.
Translation: Traffic Control and Disaster Repair Updates on Taiwan’s Central Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway 8)
With the conclusion of the Lunar New Year holiday, work officially resumes today (Feb. 3). The section of the Central Cross-Island Highway (Provincial Highway 8) from Guanyuan to Taroko Gate (114.6 km - 184.5 km) will continue undergoing various disaster repair projects. The original daily construction-related traffic control measures will also be reinstated. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Highway Bureau reminds travelers to be mindful of the final passage times. For example, travelers heading from Dayuling to Taroko Gate must reach Tianxiang by 5:00 PM at the latest to avoid missing the final passage window between 5:00 PM and 5:30 PM from Tianxiang to Taroko Gate.
The Highway Bureau also stated that if adverse weather conditions or unforeseen incidents trigger landslides along the slopes, emergency repair teams will continue to monitor the situation and promptly clear debris. If necessary, road access may be delayed or suspended. Additionally, within designated traffic control time slots, if temporary road conditions, ongoing construction, or geographical factors pose a threat to driving safety, flexible traffic control measures will be implemented, and passage will only be permitted once safety concerns are resolved.
Travel Advisory and Safety Reminders
The eastern section of the Central Cross-Island Highway still has multiple ongoing disaster repair projects, including repairs to slopes, road surfaces, and foundations following typhoon damage. The Highway Bureau urges road users to plan their travel schedules carefully and ensure that they pass through controlled sections during designated passage times to avoid unnecessary stops or delays, which could increase driving risks or result in being blocked by road closures.
Travelers are strongly advised to avoid mountain roads during typhoons, heavy rain, prolonged rainfall, or after earthquakes, as these conditions increase the risk of landslides and falling rocks, making road conditions unpredictable. Stay updated with weather forecasts and road condition alerts and make necessary adjustments to your travel plans accordingly.
Traffic Control Measures for February 3–28, 2025
The following traffic control measures will apply to different sections of the Central Cross-Island Highway:
1. Guanyuan to Tianxiang (114.6 km - 167.7 km)
- Controlled section: From Hehuan Police Station to Tianxiang (114.6 km - 167.7 km).
- Regardless of weekdays or holidays:
- At 127.5 km, 127.9 km (Bilu section), and 138.3 km (west of Xibaiyang), construction will be conducted in stages. Traffic will be released once every hour between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Only vehicles that have arrived at the control points before the designated release time will be allowed to pass before the road is closed again.
- For other sections, traffic conditions will be assessed during daily morning patrols. If safe passage is possible, traffic will be managed flexibly between 6:00 AM and 4:30 PM to accommodate ongoing repairs.
- No entry is allowed between 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM (only vehicles already inside the control section may exit).
- Full road closure from 6:30 PM to 6:00 AM the next day.
2. Tianxiang to Taroko Gate (167.7 km - 184.5 km)
(Traffic control measures remain the same as in January.)
- Controlled section: From Tianxiang to Taroko Gate (167.7 km - 184.5 km).
- Regardless of weekdays or holidays:
- After daily morning patrols, if road conditions are deemed safe, traffic will be released during five designated time slots:
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM.
The 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM time slots will only allow vehicles already waiting at the control station to pass, after which the road will be re-closed. - No entry is allowed from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM (only vehicles inside the control section may exit).
- Full road closure from 6:30 PM to 7:00 AM the next day.
- After daily morning patrols, if road conditions are deemed safe, traffic will be released during five designated time slots:
Additionally, the section between Taroko Gate and Changchun Tunnel will continue to implement a traffic diversion system as follows:
- Westbound traffic (from Taroko toward Tianxiang):
Vehicles will be directed through Sakadang Tunnel → Xilaan Tunnel → Changchun Tunnel → Tianxiang. - Eastbound traffic (from Tianxiang toward Taroko):
Vehicles will take Provincial Highway 8 → Changchun Tunnel → Taroko Gate → Hualien (or Yilan).
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Sorry, I was only talking about the north south route, not the cross island, which is always more complicated. The section just north of toroko, on the maj highway going to Yilan, is legitimately full closed except operating hours. Been doing the rounds (in truck, not cycling) the last few months and the times of opening are strictly enforced (for good reason, they are doing proper construction, it’s not safe). The cross island routes, like route 8, I haven’t been in about a year so I have no comment other than we have called the authorities to askif its ipen, given the all clear knly to be met by road closures. So i wouldnt trust the authorities 100%, they are wrong more often than they should be, causi g massive detours in shipping. Again, thays for vehicles, cant comment if cyclists have more lenient rules 
I’m in one or two of them 
OK, I think I know who you are. Between his Taiwan videos and the Show Us Your Bike thread, I put two and two together