Tunnel a testament to persistence

The withdrawal of overseas contractors shook the confidence of the ministry, and at one point it thought about abandoning the tunnel project completely.

An alternative was put on the table: straightening the existing Taipei-Ilan Highway which meanders through the mountains by constructing an overpass. That option could have become reality if it were not for the persistence of former bureau director Cheng Wen-long (鄭文隆), who persuaded the Minister of Transportations and Communications to continue the project.

New freeway

The completed tunnel has also brought into full operation the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway, which is expected to affect the development of the nation's northeastern region.

As the commuting time between Taipei and Ilan has now been cut to around 30 minutes, motorists can now bypass Pinglin. They can also choose not to take the longer scenic drive along the coastline highway. Media reports have shown that businesses along these routes have witnessed a significant reduction in customers over the past few days.

Huang Chi-liang (黃志良), chief of Ilan County Government's urban planning section, said the county's hotel industry might also be affected since tourists may not want to spend the night, preferring to go home instead.

"[The hotel industry] now ought to worry about how they are going to keep people here," Huang said, adding that tourists will expect more from travel service providers.

Huang said that the launch of the freeway would incorporate Ilan into the Taipei Metropolitan Area.

He added, however, that is was difficult to predict whether this would motivate more former Ilan residents to move back to their hometown.

Exploitation

Environmental protection groups have expressed concerns over the unrestricted exploitation of the land.

Lim Hak-yan (林學淵), executive director of Taiwan Agenda 21, said that much farmland in Ilan was being turned into residential land to build houses.

This will devastate the environment to the point there is no way to redeem it, he said.

Lim also said that Taiwan cannot afford to build another highway.

Instead, the government should focus more on constructing public transportation systems, he said.

While most former Ilan County residents say they will enjoy the convenience the freeway brings, few expressed interest in returning and settling down for good.

Wu li-ming (吳麗明), a native of Lotung (羅東) in Ilan County and an office clerk in Taipei, goes home once every two months.

She said that while she was thrilled at the thought of arriving home in less than an hour, she was not particularly interested in moving back.

"A lot of young people have moved out of [Lotung] because there are not many jobs available," Wu said, "Ilan has beautiful scenery, but the salaries are too low to live on."