Well, there is an awful lot of irrational and wishful thinking on the parts of east coast residents regarding the road. Many believe that if they simply had a modern freeway as we do on the west then all their problems would be solved. This includes the high divorce rate (I’m not making that up). So, a collective group who believe that a freeway will solve marital issues is not one that can be said to be applying reason to their situation.
I suspect that easterners believe that if the highway is closed during typhoons then they will have to concede that parts of it are built over/along unstable territory, hence acknowledging that there may be sound reasons for not allowing a freeway.
The government is either going to have to take a hard stance towards this and close dangerous roads during severe weather events, or not close them but warn anyone going there that if something happens, the government is free from any civil consequences.
Either way, it sucks to be the government because they’re going to receive some flak no matter what they do…
So, I assume the Suau-Hualien road will be closed for at least several weeks?
The reason I ask is I’m scheduled to ride in an organized bike ride from Hualien on November 13, but it looks like they’ll be lucky to have the roads back again by December, so I’m guessing they’ll postpone the ride.
There’s no other convenient way to drive from Taipei to Hualien, is there? Might the train still operate on that route?
trains go in thru tunnels and should start up soon if now already. The road looks a mess and even if its open the danger persists in those parts because it looks like it will be a landslide zone. You would best get past those areas FAST.
Have you been on that road? The cliffs come straight down. Presumably they’re trying to help people killed/injured in the slide. You’re right it looks extremely dangerous. Absolutely. But there’s no other way to get anywhere close to that road is there?
Have you been on that road? The cliffs come straight down. Presumably they’re trying to help people killed/injured in the slide. You’re right it looks extremely dangerous. Absolutely. But there’s no other way to get anywhere close to that road is there?[/quote]
I think they should at least use ropes and follow basic safety measures. I’m not seeing any ropes in that picture but maybe the image isn’t clear enough.
No, they’re not roped up and you’re right they should be. But, this is Taiwan. Recall the guys who stood in the river in Chiayi for 3 hours a few years ago, before being swept away to their deaths, as rescuers watched. Ho hum.
To be honest the road probably should never have been built in the first place. The eastern cliffs meet right at the edge of the sea. MUch of the road is cut right into the mountain. Back in the day it was even more hairy when it was all one lane and there were several checkpoints. Everyone passed thru in a convoy. They counted the cars and then opened up in the other direction.
It was very hairy. If you stuck your arm out the window u were basically over the edge in many parts. Todays Suao-Hualian is a two lane and is much safer then it was with many of the most dangerous sections tunneled.
Still this typhoon has proven that the road is still basically unsafe. The land is largely unstable there. And quakes dont make matters easier. Taiwan is a young island and is basically composed of a variety of rock and in many parts they are highly unstable.
I was appalled at reading that some 100 people yearly lose their lives on that road. I had no idea it was that much.
but Hualian is pretty easily cut off. Back in the day, highway 9 and 11 were not more then a mule path and the suao-hualian was very treacherous. The EW cross island was a major undertaking as well. There were no trains then to hualian. People largely flew. There was a ship at one point. That failed when the trains opened up.
My first time on the Suao-Hualian was on a bus. And it was an unforgettable experience. You really felt good to have made it thru. At times the cliff face was barely two feet away from the bus , while the sea was just a few feet away on the other side.
That is the thing. We are talking about a strech of road started by the Japanese back in 1923 or something like that. Built at high cost of lives in the 50’s/60’s. And then? Ever since the 1999 earthquake, one strech or another has fallen apart. They had the plan for a new highway in 2007, remember, the one that was environmentally problematic? Maybe that will come up again…
Seems some human remains have been found off the coast of Yilan, pressumably of the missing bus occupants. Purses and dresses, fallyr new, have washed up shore. Search will extend up to Danshui and Keelung because of currents. Family members from China have arrived in Taiwan to help identify remains -DNA.
Why is it so hard for the Taiwanese to follow basic safety protocol? This kind of lack in practical intelligence is what caused the whole mess.
(I’ve never been on the Su-Hua highway – we take the southern route.)[/quote]
You should take the Su-Hua it’s a very beautiful drive, highly worth it. They should have simply closed the road. They know that after a certain amount of rain the likelihood of landslides will be great. In fact, at sometime during almost every typhoon it closes itself. I’m not surprised 100 people die on that road a year given the amount of traffic that uses it especially the combination of trucks, buses, tourists, locals, and Taiwan driving etiquette.
