President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that he is happy to see the restoration of the Anting Bay tunnel -- the sole connecting pass between Nantou County's popular mountain resorts of Hsitou and Shanlinhsi in central Taiwan.
"The realization of such a reconstruction mission again demonstrates the DPP government's efficiency and resolution," Chen said.
"We accomplished this difficult mission, which the former KMT administration was not able to do," Chen said.
"Such an achievement proves that the opposition parties' criticisms [of the DPP] are not true," he said.
Chen asked the public and supporters to remain confident in his administration, saying that the DPP will continue to restore the prosperity of the county's tourist spots.
Chen said he still remembers the distress he felt when he first saw how seriously damaged the tunnel was more than three years ago.
The tunnel collapsed during the Sept. 21, 1999 earthquake that measured 7.3 on the Richter scale.
Military servicemen managed to repair it a year later, but it was heavily damaged again in July 2001 when Typhoon Toraji swept across the nation.
The collapse of the only connecting pass between Hsitou and Shanlinhsi dealt a severe blow to the local tourist industry, Chen said, adding that he has made four visits to the construction site over the past four years.
"I felt more comfortable only after seeing during my visit this May that the boring work on the tunnel had been completed," Chen said, adding that he appreciates the concerted efforts of government agencies and private contractors in completing the difficult construction project ahead of schedule.
The project was originally scheduled for completion in October next year.
Dozens of senior officials attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Ling-san (林陵三), Public Construction Commission Chairwoman Kuo Yao-chi and Nantou County Commissioner Lin Chung-nan (林宗南).
After the ceremony, the president joined 12 local couples -- all married for more than 60 years -- for a walk through the tunnel to celebrate its restoration.
In tandem with the inauguration of the new tunnel, the Shanlinhsi recreational park, which boasts the nation's only peony garden, as well as many centuries-old trees, was also re-opened to the public yesterday.
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