Editorial: The most dangerous road in Taiwan

The epic battle between pro-development and pro-environment forces over the fate of the proposed Suhua Freeway (蘇花高) has entered a new phase following comments by Public Construction Commission Chairman Wu Tze-cheng (吳澤成).

Wu the public to consider the viability of the lone road connection along the east coast where the freeway alignment would be. This existing road, the Suhua Highway (蘇花公路), is probably the most famous road in the country. Dramatic photos of the cliffs at Chingshui (清水) are staples for tourism brochures, traveler guides and coffee table books; most are taken along this road.

The highway is also a perilous one to drive by any measure. Narrow, winding and with a steep fall on one side and the ever-present threat of falling rocks and landslides on the other, it is regularly closed after earthquakes in the area and during typhoons, when the mountainside sprouts temporary waterfalls along much of its length. Road deaths occur occasionally, often in spectacularly gruesome fashion.

The road at one time brought Hualien and Taitung counties, hemmed in by the Central Mountain Range, closer to the west coast. But passenger travel and some cargo these days has shifted to air and rail, leaving much of the road to local commuters and heavy vehicles servicing mining companies.

A freeway between Suao (蘇澳) in Ilan County and Hualien is a tantalizing project for many sectors -- construction, tourism and real estate, to name only a few.

But there is also a powerful argument that opening up the east coast to a much higher volume of traffic from Ilan and points north will despoil much of the nation's environment that has managed to avoid the overpopulation and exploitation of the west coast, notwithstanding the damage already inflicted on east coast mountainsides by mining interests.

As the government deliberates over expense and environmental fallout, it is interesting that a senior bureaucrat is now ramping up pressure by warning that the humble Suhua Highway may be an unsustainable piece of infrastructure. Certainly, words to the effect of the road falling into the ocean because of erosion are likely to elicit a strong response from business interests that rely on the road. For them, a freeway is the only alternative.

Regardless its expense, as long as the Suhua Highway stays open, pro-environment forces have an ace up their sleeves: The highway is there for those who need it, and the fact that it is not heavily used suggests that a freeway is not needed and that its construction would constitute an extraordinary waste of money -- in addition to damaging the area's exceptionally delicate environment.

But if bureaucrats are starting to frown on the coastal road and suggest that its days are numbered, then environmental activists have good reason to be very nervous.

The average Hualien and Taitung voter -- who is staunchly pro-blue-camp -- will likely become much more intimidating at the thought of there being no coastal connection to the north, even if he or she hardly ever uses it. This pressure is something that even a Democratic Progressive Party administration would find difficult to bear.