These videos show some of the damage caused to Highway 20. The guy has some other interesting videos taken from natural areas around Taiwan.
Worth a look.
Thanks for the insight. That video was in Aug 2010, 6 months ago.
It looked passable in the SUV I plan to rentā¦ guess will find out when I try to drive it this weekend.
If anyone knows for sure if passable by SUV, please let us know.
I think the deal is that it was navigable on foot/by bike last summer (2010), but more landslides in the autumn have now made a section near Yakou completely impassable.
Go up by all means and at your own risk, but be prepared to U-turn.
I really wish weekend warriors would stop trying to prove something by attempting to pass over this closed highway. Someone is going to get hurt or killed one of these days. Oh and be aware that if any accident happens you are likely going to be responsible for your own rescue costs. Better hope a helicopter is not needed.
Watch part 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3bZZaxmTcU&feature=related
At 10ā30 in, which is a few km west of the Yakou tunnel, the road is impassable to vehicles. Very likely that section has not been repaired, but has worsened over the 10/11 winter.
[quote]Thanks for the insight. That video was in Aug 2010, 6 months ago.
It looked passable in the SUV I plan to rentā¦ guess will find out when I try to drive it this weekend.
If anyone knows for sure if passable by SUV, please let us know.
Thanks for the insight. That video was in Aug 2010, 6 months ago.
It looked passable in the SUV I plan to rentā¦ guess will find out when I try to drive it this weekend.
If anyone knows for sure if passable by SUV, please let us know.
[/quote]
Yeah, but in September last year, we had some of the heaviest concentrated rain to hit Taiwan which affected the already damaged/completely broken route. You can still drive the road, but you can not get across - so donāt expect to arrive on the other side of the island from which ever side you start off from.
Usually. you need a reason to go in from the Taidung side ( canāt remember about Tainan), even to get up to one of the first villages. Even at the beginning of route 20, the road is tough going - and thatās before you get up into to mountains proper.
[quote]I really wish weekend warriors would stop trying to prove something by attempting to pass over this closed highway. Someone is going to get hurt or killed one of these days. Oh and be aware that if any accident happens you are likely going to be responsible for your own rescue costs. Better hope a helicopter is not needed.
[/quote]
People make their own decisions. I am around there regularly just for the peace and quite and the sudden abundance of wildlife that has appeared since the road has closed, but I myself wouldnāt advise people to go up - not without other people who know what they are doing.
Helicopters are cool though, donāt you think? Kind of like an angry coconut tree.
[quote=āSuper Hansā]People make their own decisions. I am around there regularly just for the peace and quite and the sudden abundance of wildlife that has appeared since the road has closed, but I myself wouldnāt advise people to go up - not without other people who know what they are doing.
[/quote]
That is my point too. Look I was supposed to go with Volviic in December when he tried to cross. But I know the risks, I understand the terrain and how prone it is to slides, know the extent of the damage, have discussed it with people in Yushan National Park and the Kaohsiung Land Management Office, as well as people like Volviic who have driven it a hundred times. Both Volviic and I are also very experienced driving in rough conditions in Taiwan.
Tango obviously knows nothing about what he is getting himself into (if he did he wouldnāt need to be asking on Fcom) and people who know better shouldnāt encourage actions that could lead to his injury or death or a massive expense should his rental car be damaged.
Itās no different if someone says they want to go cross the central mountains by themselves in their first week in Taiwan. If you have any sense and sense of decency you would dissuade them, calling the person an idiot if you have to to get his attention. Tango probably thinks Iām an asshole but Iād rather not see him end up the next Fred Frontier. 
Agreed.
About the Fred Frontier thing, not that youāre an asshole.
You speak a lot of sense.
Damnā¦ thatās some serious damage. Itās gonna take a lot of blasting the mountainside to fix it.
Actually I do know what I would be gettimg into and thanks to all for the good Forumosa wisdom as I decided to skip hwy 20 on this trip and save it for a better day. No new information.
The drive towards kenting with the Spring Scream traffic on sat morning and all the insane start and stopping until turning onto highway 9 towards Taitung was probably more dangerous than #20 would have been!
If you read Chinese, you can get info on road conditions from the Highway Disaster Information System at http://bobe.thb.gov.tw/DefaultGeneral.aspx?queIndex=1 A pity if the 20 never opens again, itās a beautiful road. We did it by bicycle a couple of years back and loved it despite the rain and the clouds. It must be absolutely wonderful in good weather.
If I only knew 20 will become history (most likely) I woulda done it when I was on the wan. NEver been on it. Been on the East West several times all the way from hualian to/from taichung (thru kukuan). Awesome drive that was. And apparently the section from Kukuan to Lishan is gone forever . LIkely never to reopen either.
Hitch-hiked from Tainan up to Yakou in '94, then we walked all the way down to Litao, great trip. Drove it again east-to-west a couple of years back and nearly ran out of petrol. Disappointed never to have cycled it though & that might never happen now. Come on magic roadworkers, blast those mountains, rebuild that ribbon of road.
Iām not so sure about thatā¦ isnāt it a good thing that Taiwan is trying to let the mountains recover and become wilderness again? I used to take a scooter up and down that road all the time when I lived in Tainan, and itās almost definitely the most beautiful road Iāve ever driven on, but itās oddly comforting that some places are no longer easily accessible.
Sort of the reverse of how the famous hiking treks in Nepal are being replaced by roads. Thatās probably good for the people, but still sad.
I know what you mean, but you canāt stand in the way of Taiwanās love affair with tarmac. And theyāre only rebuilding a road that was already in place, a rather special road that crossed the Range. If indeed it can be rebuilt. You may well get your wish, and it will be deemed irreparable. Thatās nice in a way if the #20 becomes 2 dead-end roads - other folks mention the returning wildlife - but Iād like to see everything reconnected.
Thereās still plenty of high mountain wilderness up there. Roads that turn into tracks that turn into trails, that no-one really ventures up.
On Google Maps, of uncertain age, but since Marakot, the SCIH appears to be passable, even through Yakouā¦ at least the GoogleCar got through, and passed some scooters.
goo.gl/maps/B3FsN
And you gotta love the STREET LEVEL view of the SCIH.
Those must be from before Morakot then. It has been closed since. The Google Car did not get through.
I tried to drive up to Meishan last weekend since most have said that the road is passable until then. Iām sure the road is passable but itās really rough. Basically itās just an improvised road in the river bed. I drove 3-4 kms on it before turning around since I only have a car that I take a lot of places that I shouldnāt. Iām not sure what challenges exist after Meishan but there could be 10-15 kms of road without a good place to rebuild it. The road previously was located about halfway up the valley but it doesnāt look stable enough to consider putting a new (ridiculously expensive) road. They might have to build a bridge that whole distance. Quite impractical imo. Itās a little disappointing that it isnāt easy to access anymore but that also keeps away the tour buses.
South Cross Island Highway, Taiwan by abacus07, on Flickr
The old road is visible on the right with the improvised road coming in from the left.
Is highway 20 open now? I want to drive Kaohsiung to Taidong this weekend.
No. Donāt expect it ever will. Maybe the KMT will hold a referendum on it so they donāt lose face admitting they canāt control nature.