The Cabinet has approved a plan to build the long-talked-about Suao-Hualien expressway with a view to boosting economic and tourist development in eastern Taiwan, the Government Information Office (GIO) said yesterday.
Construction of the 86.5km expressway linking Suao in the northeastern county of Ilan to Hualien in eastern Taiwan is scheduled to start late next year, the GIO said in a press release.
According to the GIO statement, the NT$96.2 billion construction project will be carried out in two stages.
The first phase of construction will include several tunnels piercing the Central Mountain Range on the Liwu-Chian section in Hualien County, while the second phase will mainly cover the Suao-Liwu section. The whole project is scheduled to be completed by 2011.
Due to its often steep and difficult natural terrain, eastern Taiwan has lagged behind the western part of the island in development. GIO officials said the four-lane expressway is expected to improve traffic conditions in eastern Taiwan, attract investment and boost economic development in the region.
Before the expressway is
opened to traffic, the officials said, the government will set up a special development agency to plan systematic development projects for eastern Taiwan to avoid spoiling the natural scenery and resources in the region.
RSS