Beginning next month, 17 makeshift bridges and temporary road sections built after Typhoon Morakot struck in August last year will be managed through a three-tier monitoring system, the Directorate General of Highways (DGH) said.
DGH Secretary-General Mile Chen (陳茂男) said that sections falling under the first category include those between the 95km and the 103km marker on Provincial Highway 20 in Kaohsiung County’s Taoyuan Township (桃源) and between the 213km and 224km markers in Kaohsiung County’s Namasiya Township (那瑪夏).
“Both are temporary sections, and there are already risks associated with driving through them, even before the rainy season starts,” Chen said. “Entry to the road sections in this first category will be restricted when the rainy season begins next month.”
Chen said that restricted entry hours would run from 6am to 10pm. Only those with permits will be allowed to use these roads, including construction workers, police officers, fire department officials, healthcare service providers and local residents.
Included in the second category is a makeshift bridge in Pingtung County’s Wutai Township (霧台), the road section between Tongfu (同富) and Zihjhong (自忠) in Nantou County’s Sinyi Township (信義) and Lidao (利稻) section in Taitung County’s Haiduan Township (海端). Chen added that motorists passing through these areas would be required to leave their names and phone numbers, and that the restrictions would be put in place whenever the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) issues a heavy rain warning.
Listed under the third category are the remaining 12 makeshift bridges and temporary sections, which will only be closed when rainfall reaches extreme levels.
Lee Chung-chang (李忠璋), deputy director of the DGH’s maintenance division, said an alarm system connecting its bridge management system to CWB rainfall observation centers at different rivers is scheduled to be completed before the end of the month.
Lee said construction offices under the maintenance division have set threshold levels for rivers.
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