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Yu inspects new tunnel

Premier Yu Shyi-kun waves to the press at the opening ceremony for the western part of the Hsuehshan Tunnel yesterday morning. PHOTO: CNA

Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday presided over the official opening ceremony for the western part of the Hsuehshan Tunnel -- the world's fifth-longest and the centerpiece of the 31km Peiyi Freeway that will connect Taipei and Ilan counties.

In addition to boasting of the efficiency of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, Yu announced that the Cabinet will set up a cross-ministerial task force to map out more comprehensive plans to minimize the impact the freeway will have on the quality of life in the county and on the traffic situation.

Yu also said that Ilan County will be the site of a fifth base of the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (新竹科學園區). The industrial park now has four bases scattered across two different venues in Hsinchu County, another in Miaoli County and another in Taoyuan County.

The completion of drilling on the westbound tunnel marks the connecting of the National Freeway No. 3, or the second north-south freeway, to the west with the Peiyi Freeway, part of National Freeway No. 5, to the east.

Yu led a convoy of about 20 jeeps transporting residents of Ilan through the tunnel connecting Pinglin in Taipei County and Toucheng in Ilan County. While it is expected to eventually take about 10 minutes to drive through the tunnel, it took Yu 45 minutes yesterday to drive across the muddy and bumpy terrain.

Yu, a native of Ilan, said that he was glad that two of Ilan residents' big dreams had finally been realized by the DPP administration.

"We've for the past 30 years wanted a public university and a freeway," he said.

"The National Ilan University was established in August last year and the east-bound tunnel of the Hsueshan Tunnel was blasted through three days ago," he said.

Work on the 12.9km Hsuehshan Tunnel began in July 1991. The Peiyi Freeway was scheduled to become operational by 1998 but completion was delayed until 2005.

With the completion of drilling on the westbound tunnel, Yu said that he was confident that drilling on the eastbound tunnel would be concluded by September. He said the freeway would be open to the public by the end of next year, as planned.

Yu said that the completion of the project illustrated that the DPP administration was more efficient than the former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration.

"Under the KMT administration, the average annual completion rate of projects was 3.8 percent. This increased to nearly 9 percent after the transfer of power in 2000 and then to almost 22 percent during my term," he said.

Seeking to court voters in eastern Taiwan, which remains a pan-blue stronghold, Yu has put the freeway project high on the Cabinet's agenda. He has inspected the construction site and listened to briefings on the project more than 10 times since he was sworn in in February, 2002.

"I'm proud to say that I've done my best," he said, drawing a round of applause from the audience.

Some politicians, however, did not seem to appreciate his efforts.

People First Party (PFP) Taipei County councilors Wu Shan-jeou (吳善九) and King Chieh-shou (金介壽) said Yu's visit yesterday was nothing but a "vile example of an election gambit."

"I'm curious to know why the National Expressway Engineering Bureau allowed the premier to use the Pengshan Tunnel, which was completed three years ago but is still only being used by government officials," he said.

"I'd also like to know why a temporary public road in Pinglin is being reserved for special use only," he said.

The duo said that their appeal was very simple.

"We'd like to see the Pengshan Tunnel and the road in Pinglin open to ambulances, fire trucks and emergency-oriented vehicles," Wu said.

"I don't think we're asking too much," he added.
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