Minister of Transportation and Communications Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) yesterday said the ministry would soon launch a comprehensive survey on approximately 2,000 bridges nationwide that are under its authority.
He said a bridge would be placed on the priority list if it is identified as dangerous.
Mao said the ministry would allocate a three-year budget of NT$15 billion (US$467.6 million) to repair dangerous bridges.
PHOTO: TSAI WEN-CHENG, TAIPEI TIMES
All construction work would be completed by 2012.
Mao said the government would accelerate the renovation of 40 unstable bridges around the country and intends to finish repairing them in the next four years rather than six, as initially scheduled.
Inspectors are meanwhile examining the condition and structure of all bridges around the country to ensure that none poses an immediate safety risk, Mao said.
Ministry statistics showed that the 40 most dangerous bridges are located on highways that are managed by the ministry’s Directorate General of Highways.
They include four bridges that collapsed when Typhoon Sinlaku pelted Taiwan with strong winds and heavy rain.
The collapse of Houfeng Bridge (后豐橋) on Sunday on Provincial Highway 13 between Houli (后里) and Fengyuan (豐原) in Taichung County led to at least one death.
Rescue units were still searching for five other individuals who went missing after the car they were in plunged off the bridge into the river.
Three other bridges were severely damaged during the typhoon, including Chiashian Bridge (甲仙橋) on Provincial Highway 20 in Kaohsiung County, Niumien Bridge (牛眠橋) on Provincial Highway 21 in Nantou County and Wuhuliao Bridge (五虎寮橋) on Provincial Highway 18 in Chiayi County.
In addition to the bridges, 188 bridges on county or township roads whave been categorized as unstable.
Local governments have been asked to fix the dangerous structures writhin the next two years, Mao said.
Taiwan has more than 26,000 bridges, 7,000 of which are located on highways.
James Chen (陳晉源), director general of the Directorate General of Highways, said that the directorate had previously identified 40 bridges nationwide that needed to be repaired following a survey conducted in 2005.
“There is a need to redo the survey, as the situation with these bridges might be different now,” he said.
Chen said the directorate would review standard operating procedures involved in closing a bridge.
Mao made the remarks after Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) demanded on Monday that 40 bridges in bad condition around the country be immediately rebuilt or renovated.
During Liu’s visit to Houfeng Bridge on Monday, the parents of one of those missing complained to the premier that rescuers were not working hard enough.
Liu promised that government rescue efforts would not stop until the missing persons were found.
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