The Directorate-General of Highways (DGH) yesterday said it would increase the number of hours for traffic in the summer as well as in the winter on the Central Cross-Island Highway (Highway No. 8), adding that non-residents would still be barred from traveling on the highway.
Built by military veterans, the 190km roadway connecting Greater Taichung and Hualien County was opened in 1960. It was severely damaged by the 921 Earthquake in 1999. Though the government spent NT$2 billion (US$67 million) repairing the highway following requests from local residents, nearly all the renovation work was destroyed in floods caused by Typhoon Mindulle in 2004.
The DGH eventually decided to suspend reconstruction efforts on the highway.
At present, both local residents and non-residents must bypass the road section between Guguan (谷關) and Deji (德基) in Greater Taichung to access Highway No. 8.
Director-General of Highways Wu Meng-fen (吳盟分) said the DGH had invested NT$400 million in building seven new tunnels on the route since 2010, adding that construction is scheduled to be completed next month.
“We opened the highway for traffic at 7am as well as at 5pm daily starting in November last year,” Wu said. “We estimate that we can have more hours for traffic in May as well as in the summer and winter.”
Wu said there would be seven periods in the summer and five periods in the winter when the highway would be open, adding that it would still be closed at night.
Wu emphasized that the highway was open only to local residents.
Meanwhile, the DGH has published a book on the history of the Central Cross-Island Highway.
According to the DGH, more than 19,000 workers and engineers were involved in its construction.
A Taipei veterinarian is urging pet owners to avoid using insecticides around their homes, as their ingredients can be toxic to pets. Commercial-grade insecticides contain pyrethroids — organic compounds similar to natural pyrethrins, pesticides produced by flowers such as chrysanthemums — in quantities that are harmless to humans, but potentially fatal to cats and dogs, Asian Veterinary Specialist Referral Center veterinarian Chua Man-ling (蔡曼琳) said. Even in small quantities, pyrethroids are hazardous to cats, as they lack the metabolic enzymes needed to process them, Chua said. Cockroach sprays and ant traps are especially dangerous to pets as they contain boric acid, she
People should avoid eating too many zongzi (粽子, glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves), as consuming several in one meal could cause indigestion, bloating, gastric acid reflux, heartburn and other stomach ailments, a doctor said on Saturday. Zongzi is a traditional delicacy for the Dragon Boat Festival, which was on Thursday. Citing a recent case as an example, Cathay General Hospital gastroenterology department head Chu Yu-ming (朱淯銘) said that a 58-year-old taxi driver surnamed Hsiao (蕭) ate meals at irregular hours due to his work and has been taking diabetes medicine for three years. Hsiao recently bought a bag of zongzi and ate
While stereotypically considered a household pest that simply will not die, Hung Ting-yang’s (洪鼎揚) experience with Archimandrita tesselata, commonly called the peppered roach, might change a person’s mind. The peppered roach originates in South America, is omnivorous and, as it is capable of growing to 7cm to 9cm long, is a giant compared with other roaches, which have an average length of about 4cm. The peppered roach goes through six separate chrysalis stages and takes nine months to reach full maturity. Mature roaches have wings, but cannot fly and can only glide. They have an average lifespan of three years. As his
The EU’s list of safe nations to which it would reopen borders next week does not include Taiwan, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said the list has not been finalized and some EU countries have highlighted the importance of “reciprocity.” The provisional list comprises Algeria, Andorra, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay and the Vatican, the New York Times reported on Friday. The EU said it would add China, considered one of the “acceptable countries,” if it also opens its borders to EU travelers, the newspaper reported. Backed by
RSS